PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Highway Patrol has announced that it will conduct sobriety checkpoints in 15 counties during the month of March, including Pennington County and the Rapid City area.
The enforcement efforts are scheduled for the counties of Beadle, Brookings, Brown, Clay, Codington, Day, Hughes, Hutchinson, Jones, Lawrence, Lincoln, Lyman, Meade, Minnehaha, and Pennington.
According to state officials, the monthly checkpoints are designed to discourage impaired driving and improve overall roadway safety. The operations are funded by the South Dakota Office of Highway Safety and are carried out by the Highway Patrol in coordination with local law enforcement agencies.
“The enforcement effort is aimed at reducing impaired driving and improving roadway safety,” the Department of Public Safety stated in the announcement.
Authorities remind motorists in Rapid City and across the state to make responsible choices by avoiding driving after consuming alcohol, regardless of whether a checkpoint is scheduled for their specific location. Drivers who plan to drink are urged to arrange for a designated sober driver or utilize public or commercial transportation services.
The South Dakota Office of Highway Safety and the South Dakota Highway Patrol are both agencies under the South Dakota Department of Public Safety.
