PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Highway Patrol has announced that sobriety checkpoints will be conducted in 15 different counties throughout South Dakota during the month of December, an effort that includes Pennington County.
The checkpoints are designed to encourage people to not drink and drive, particularly during the holiday season. The South Dakota Office of Highway Safety funds the monthly checkpoints, which are conducted by the Highway Patrol with assistance from local law enforcement.
Counties scheduled for December checkpoints are Bennett, Brule, Butte, Codington, Custer, Day, Hughes, Jerauld, Lincoln, Meade, Minnehaha, Moody, Pennington, Walworth, and Yankton. Residents in the Rapid City area, specifically Pennington County, should be aware of the planned activity.
Officials from the South Dakota Department of Public Safety, which oversees both the Office of Highway Safety and the Highway Patrol, remind all drivers not to operate a vehicle while impaired, regardless of whether a checkpoint is planned in their specific county. People who have been drinking are urged to designate a sober driver or use an alternate form of commercial or public transportation to ensure safety on South Dakota roadways.
