PIERRE, S.D. (Press Release) – South Dakota’s Department of Public Safety says 20 sobriety checkpoints will be held in 17 counties statewide during the month of April.

The checkpoints are designed to discourage people from drinking and then driving. Monthly 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.

April checkpoints will be held in the counties of: Brown, Beadle, Brookings, Butte, Charles Mix, Codington, Day, Fall River, Hamlin, Hughes, Jerauld, Lake, Meade, Minnehaha, Pennington, Stanley and Yankton.

Both the Office of Highway Safety and the Highway Patrol are part of the Department of Public Safety.