Buckling down: Fatalities, safety laws both touted as minimal on SD roads

The Daily Republic

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Fewer people died in crashes in 2019 than in any other recent year in South Dakota, but the state still lags behind the rest of the country in its implementation of highway safety laws.

Last week, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, a nationwide organization that promotes the passage of federal and state laws as a means of preventing crashes, released a report that ranked each state by how closely its laws matched those the organization recommended, including those related to age restrictions, seat belt and car seat usage and distracted driving.

The report found that South Dakota currently has two of those 16 recommended laws in place, fewer than any other state in the country.

Ten rescued in and around Mitchell on Thursday night, Friday morning

The Daily Republic

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First responders rescued 10 people in four water-related events between Thursday night and Friday morning within Mitchell and farther south.

Those rescued in the approximately 15-hour period included four who drove around barricades, three who were stranded in high water and three who became trapped when their homes became surrounded by water.