Safe driving encouraged during Christmas holiday

The South Dakota Highway Patrol and the Office of Highway Safety urge drivers to be careful when driving for Christmas, whether it is across town or across the state. With more people on the road for the holiday, Highway Patrol Superintendent Colonel Rick Miller says it is important everyone watches out for each other.

This year’s Christmas holiday reporting period for motor vehicle traffic crashes covers 30 hours, from 6:00 p.m. today through midnight, Wednesday, December 25th.  During last year’s 102-hour long reporting period, there were 173 reported traffic crashes resulting in 48 injuries and two deaths. Of the two fatalities, one was a pedestrian and the other was a pickup driver who was ejected after not wearing a seatbelt.

The last fatality-free Christmas Holiday weekend occurred in 2015.