RAPID CITY, S.D. – The South Dakota Highway Patrol has announced that sobriety checkpoints will be conducted across 16 counties during October, an effort that includes Pennington, Lawrence, and Meade counties in the Black Hills area.
The monthly checkpoints are a statewide initiative designed to discourage impaired driving, particularly in a state that has been noted for having one of the nation’s highest per capita rates of driving under the influence (DUI) arrests.
Counties scheduled to see checkpoints in October include: Brown, Brule, Clay, Codington, Davison, Day, Edmunds, Jones, Lake, Lawrence, Meade, Minnehaha, Pennington, Sanborn, Stanley, and Yankton.
The operations are funded by the South Dakota Office of Highway Safety and are carried out by the South Dakota Highway Patrol with the assistance of local law enforcement agencies, such as the Rapid City Police Department and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office in the western part of the state.
The presence of the checkpoints aims to remind drivers to make responsible choices before getting behind the wheel. Officials from the Department of Public Safety urge all motorists to plan ahead by designating a sober driver or arranging for commercial or public transportation, regardless of whether a checkpoint is scheduled for their specific county. The Office of Highway Safety maintains a physical office in Rapid City.
The enforcement efforts come as South Dakota continues to focus on traffic safety. Reports have indicated that high DUI arrest rates in the state can be attributed to several factors, including the presence of long, rural roadways and limited public transportation options in some areas.