The South Dakota Highway Patrol is making October a tough month to drive drunk or impaired in the state.  Authorities are planning numerous sobriety checkpoints throughout South Dakota in the month of October.

According to the South Dakota Department of Public Safety, Highway Patrol troopers will set up 19 checkpoints in 13 counties, KSFY TV reports.

The checkpoints in October are spread out across the state and include the countries of Brookings, Brown, Brule, Clay, Codington, Davison, Day, Jerauld, Lake, Lawrence, Meade, Minnehaha and Pennington.

KSFY TV is reporting that these checkpoints are performed monthly in various counties to discourage drivers from drinking and then driving.  The South Dakota Office of Highway Safety funds the checkpoints.  They are conducted by the South Dakota Highway Patrol with the help of local law enforcement.

The legal blood alcohol limit in South Dakota is .08% and drops to .04% for operators of commercial vehicles.  First offense penalties for DUI can include up to one year in jail, fines of up to $2000 and license revocation from 30 days up to one year.

Source: KSFY TV

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