Department of Transportation 
For Immediate Release: Friday, August 31, 2001
For More Information:  Kim Nelson 773-5103 

LABOR DAY HOLIDAY PERIOD

The Labor Day holiday period for reporting motor vehicle traffic accidents will span a 78-hour period beginning at 6 p.m. Friday, August 31^st, 2001 and ending at midnight on September 3^rd. Last year during this holiday period South Dakota recorded 144 motor vehicle traffic accidents with 69 injuries and four deaths. 

The last fatality-free Labor Day weekend on record occurred in 1994. The1970 Labor Day weekend is the deadliest on record, with six fatal accidents that resulted in 12 deaths. 

The traffic accident data for the first seven months of this year compared to data for the same period in 2000 reveals that total accidents are down 8.9 percent, injury accidents are up 0.5 percent, property damage only accidents are down 12.1 percent, and the number of people injured is down 4 percent. To date fatal accidents and fatalities are down for 2001 when compared to the same time period in 2000. In 2001 there have been 90 fatal accidents resulting in 102 deaths. This compares to 101 fatal accidents resulting in 117 deaths for 2000.

Statewide vehicle miles of travel are down 1.2 percent in 2001 as compared to miles traveled in 2000. 

January through July 2001 2000

(Note: The reporting threshold for property damage only accidents increased from $500 to $1000 on July 1^st, 2000.)