Sobriety checkpoints to return in South Dakota in July

The South Dakota Highway Patrol is resuming its drunk driving checkpoints program that was temporarily suspended due to COVID-19.

The Department of Public Safety's sobriety checkpoints will resume in July, spokesperson Tony Mangan said.

The checkpoints were halted in early March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Mangain says the checkpoints are done each month in different counties as a way to discourage drivers from drinking and then driving.

There are 19 checkpoints planned in 16 counties during July.

Beadle, Brown, Brule, Butte, Codington, Custer, Fall River, Hughes, Lake, Lawrence, Lincoln, McCook, Minnehaha, Pennington, Roberts and Yankton.

The checkpoints are funded by the South Dakota Office of Highway Safety and conducted by the South Dakota Highway Patrol with the help of local law enforcement.