South Dakota’s DUI rate is well over 160% above the national average, according to a new report. As a result, advocates have a message to the public – enjoy yourself safely in 2025.
The report, published by Denver-based law firm of Jeremy Rosenthal, tallied over 5,600 DUI arrests in South Dakota in 2023. The study scaled that using federal crime reporting data – calculating an average of about 750 DUI arrests per 100,000 South Dakotans. That’s the highest per capita rate in America.
For Lauren Johnson, community engagement manager with the local chapter of MADD – Mothers Against Drunk Driving – there is no excuse in the year 2025.
“In years past, MADD has been seen as this prohibitionist organization – we want people to have fun – but the thing is if you drink, don’t drive," Johnson said. "Pick up that rideshare app, find that designated driver and make a plan. Take those 15 seconds to send that text.”
She said while this tally counts arrests, there’s certainly more dangerous driving happening and more to each case.
“I also think about the lives lost, the victims and survivors of impaired driving, I think about the impact that it has on communities, and the impact it has on the people making the decision to drive impaired,” Johnson said.
That’s why Johnson said the group is advocating for the HALT Act in DC currently, which would mandate passive drunk driving technology in newer vehicles.
“There is anti-drunk driving technology that is already available, so that is through breath and touch sensors," Johnson said. "We can think about how backup cameras have saved so many lives – this is something similar. Technology in a vehicle that can detect if a person is over that .08 and then would not allow the car to start or drive.”
Several neighboring states – including Wyoming, North Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Montana – were also among the states with highest per-capita DUI arrests. Delaware had the lowest.