Game Plan for Super Bowl Sunday: Are You Drinking or Driving? Fans Donât Let Fans Drive Drunk.
The Super Bowl is Americaâs most watched national sporting event. On Super Bowl Sunday, February 1, there will be lots of game day socializing that may include drinking. Thatâs why the California Office of Traffic Safety and Police, Sheriffs, the California Highway Patrol are urging football fans to choose sides now: drinking or driving. If you plan on drinking on Super Bowl Sunday, designate a sober driver to get you home safely.
The Fans Donât Let Fans Drive Drunk campaign encourages people to make plans ahead of time that will prevent them from getting behind the wheel of a vehicle after drinking. Everyone should be mindful that if youâre taking medication, whether prescription or over-the-counter, drinking even small amounts of alcohol can greatly intensify the impairment effects. Driving impaired could result in injury or death for you or others on the road.
The Los Angeles County Sheriffâs Department Traffic Services Detail will be conducting roving DUI saturation patrols during and following Sundayâs Super Bowl matchup. The DUI operations will be at undisclosed locations within the cities of Bellflower and Norwalk where collision data reveals high incidents of DUI crashes and arrests.
According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2013, there were 867 people killed in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes in California â29 percent of all crash fatalities in the state. A driver is considered alcohol-impaired with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher, the legal limit. This February 1, donât become another tragic Super Bowl stat.
Drivers caught driving impaired can expect the impact of a DUI arrest to include jail time, fines, fees, DUI classes, other expenses that can exceed $10,000 not to mention the embarrassment when friends and family find out.
Funding for these operations is provided to the Los Angeles County Sheriffâs Department by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety http://www.ots.ca.gov/ through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration http://www.nhtsa.gov/, reminding everyone to âReport Drunk Driver â Call 9-1-1.
OTS is offering a free mobile app â DDVIP â aimed at thanking the sober designated driver with perks and free offers at area bars and restaurants. Available for iPhone and Android. Never let friends drive if they have had too much to drink. Stay connected with OTS via: http://www.facebook.com/CaliforniaOTS, http://twitter.com/#!/OTS_CA, www.ots.ca.gov.
As a Driver Plan Ahead with These Tips
– Arrange rides home for your friends, family, co-workers and yourself before the drinking begins.
– Identify and provide free non-alcoholic drinks or other promotional items to the Designated Driver.
– Party hosts and servers must limit drinks to your guests or patrons. Donât serve more than one or two over several hours.
– Cut back on the amount of drinks you plan to bring to the party â and provide plenty of food.