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Notably Dangerous: Fridays, Deer, Men, and Out-of-Staters Driving Tractors

Published 2018-03-17 by Cory Allen Heidelberger

Speaking of car wrecks, the Department of Public Safety offers hours of clickable fun with its online Crash Analysis Tool (SDCAT! how can you not want to play with that?), which generates all sorts of fun maps and charts. Here’s some statewide data for 2017:

Time/Day of Crashes, 2017: If you can survive Friday, you'll find the weekend to be the safest time to be on the roads. Apparently work, not play, makes Johnny a dull driver.
Time/Day of Crashes, 2017: If you can survive Friday, you’ll find the weekend to be the safest time to be on the roads. Apparently work, not play, makes Johnny a dull driver. (Click to embiggen!)
Mostly fender-benders: South Dakotans walk away from 85% of all car wrecks uninjured. (What happens when they get home and tell Dad they bent the fender is not included in this figure.)
Mostly fender-benders: South Dakotans walk away from 85% of all car wrecks uninjured. (What happens when they get home and tell Dad they bent the fender is not included in this figure.)
In 23% of car crashes in 2017, the first thing we hit was a critter. Watch out for deer!
In 23% of car crashes in 2017, the first thing we hit was a critter. Watch out for deer! (Click to embiggen!)
What was that you were saying about women drivers?
What was that you were saying about women drivers?

The DPS breaks down crash data by type of vehicle, which allows me to put together this table on the percentage of drivers from out of state involved in crashes in South Dakota:

Vehicle Type % of drivers involved in crashes from out of state
all 15%
car 12%
SUV 12%
truck 13%
van 13%
bus 13%
semi-truck 22%
other 24%
farm equipment 40%

Either out-of-staters are uniquely bad at driving tractors in South Dakota, or a markedly larger percentage of the folks driving our tractors are from out of state.

Published in South Dakota

3 Comments

  1. Jake

    Interesting–both osts, Cory!! Thanks. Would be interesting to know “At Faults” on the farm equip

    2018-03-17
  2. Debbo

    Are we surprised to see that women drivers are more highly skilled and safer?
    No, we are not.
    (Being very smug and tongue in cheek so calm down boys.)

    2018-03-17

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