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South Dakota Department of Health
South Dakota Department of Health

Health Data & Reports

Injury Prevention

Injury Prevention in South Dakota

Injuries are among some of the leading causes of death in South Dakota. Injuries are a serious public health problem that can have a lifelong impact. The South Dakota Department of Health strives to address the burden of injury by disseminating information about fatal and non-fatal injuries and promoting prevention efforts for intentional and unintentional injuries. Understanding the prevalence of injuries is key to protecting South Dakotans from injury so individuals, families, and communities can be safe, healthy, and thriving.

What is Injury?

Injury is “physical harm or damage to someone’s body.”  Whether intentional or unintentional, injuries can be predicted and prevented.

Unintentional injuries occur when there is no deliberate attempt to cause harm. Unintentional injuries include those that result from motor vehicle collisions, suffocations, burns, drownings, falls, firearms, overdoses, and recreational and sports-related activities.

Intentional injuries are purposely inflicted on oneself or others to cause harm. Intentional injuries include homicide, assaults, suicide and suicide attempts, child abuse and neglect, intimate partner violence, elder abuse, and sexual assault.

Injuries in South Dakota Report, 2023

National Resources:

Alcohol-Related Deaths & Hospitalizations

Alcohol-related deaths have been an increasing concern over the last ten years in South Dakota.

Learn About Alcohol-Related Deaths & Hospitalizations

Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a head injury caused by an external force to the head or body, resulting in disruption of normal brain function.

Learn About Traumatic Brain Injuries

Unintentional Falls

Unintentional falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths in South Dakota. 

Learn about Unintentional Falls

South Dakota Violent Death Reporting System

SD-VDRS collects facts from death certificates, coroner/medical examiner reports, law enforcement reports, and toxicology reports into one anonymous database.

View SD-VDRS Reports

Suicide

Explore South Dakota's suicide landscape data on prevalence, risk factors, and changing trends, presented through the Suicide Data Dashboard and Prevention Reports.

Learn about Suicide Prevention Efforts

Find Suicide Data & Reports

Opioid Overdose Prevention

Let's Be Clear: South Dakota's joint effort between the South Dakota Department of Health and the South Dakota Department of Social Services to address substance misuse and substance use disorders in the state.

Learn About Opioid Overdose Prevention

Additional Injury Prevention Resources

  • South Dakota Regulations
    • When operating off-road vehicles in the parks or campgrounds, the requirements are the same as an automobile. They must: have a South Dakota license, park entrance license, stay on designated roads, be operated by a person with a valid driver’s license.
    • When in the Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) areas, vehicles are not required to be licensed or to have a park entrance license.
    • Off-road riding is allowed only on designated areas inside OHV areas.
    • Off-highway vehicles are prohibited from the snowmobile trails system during the snowmobile season.
    • Snowmobiles are permitted in the OHV areas only during the designated snowmobile season.
  • South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks
  • ATV Safety Institute
  • U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Content last updated: December 6, 2024. For questions, contact: