Super Bowl
LIV is right around the corner. This year, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is teaming up with the Van Buren
County Sheriff’s Office and SAFE Coalition to remind football fans and Super
Bowl partygoers that designated drivers are the best defense against the
dangers of drunk driving. Super Bowl LIV falls on Sunday, February 2, 2020. If
your Super Bowl celebration involves alcohol, plan for a ride home with a sober
driver. If you’re hosting the party, take care of the designated drivers. We
want to remind everyone that Fans Don’t
Let Fans Drive Drunk.
Everyone
wants to have a good time on Super Bowl night, so we want our community folks
to plan safe rides home if they plan to be out at a party. Even one drink can
impair judgment. You should never put yourself, or others, at risk because you
made the choice to drink and drive. Even one drink can be one too many.
Whether
you’re attending a party, hosting a party, or going out to a bar, keep safety
at the forefront of your night. When it’s time to leave, make sure your
designated driver is actually sober. If they decided to drink, call someone
else who you know hasn’t been drinking to get you home safely. Remember that
walking impaired can also be dangerous, so designate a sober friend to walk
home with you. If you are driving, remember that sober driving isn’t the only
law that should be followed: Make sure you — and your driver — wear your seat
belts.
If you’re
planning to be a designated driver, know that you’re the night’s MVP. No matter
what, do not drink any alcohol — people are relying on you. While at the party,
enjoy the food, the company, and the non-alcoholic drinks. Encourage other
designated drivers on social media using the hashtag #DesignatedDriver. Your
positive influence could help keep other designated drivers on the right track.
If someone you know has been drinking and tries to drive, take their keys and
help them get home safely. Even if they make a fuss at the moment, they’ll
thank you later.
If you’re
hosting this year’s Super Bowl party, prepare plenty of snacks and
non-alcoholic beverages for your guests and the designated drivers. Get
creative and try out some Super Bowl-themed snacks and beverages. Support your
designated drivers by tweeting their names to @NHTSAgov to add their name to
the Wall of Fame, and use the hashtag #DesignatedDriver. They are doing
everyone a favor by keeping drunk drivers off the roads. Ask your guests to
designate their sober drivers in advance, or help them coordinate with other
partygoers’ designated drivers. Remind your drinking guests that they have a
long evening ahead of them, and encourage them to pace themselves, to eat food,
and to drink plenty of water. Another important reminder: Do not serve alcohol
to minors. If an underage person drinks and drives, the person who provided the
alcohol can be held liable for any damage, injury, or death caused by the
underage driver. In fact, you can face jail time if you host a party where
alcohol is served to people under the age of 21.
Drunk
driving isn’t the only risk on the road: Drug-impaired driving is also an
increasing problem, for men and for women alike. If drivers are impaired by any
substance — alcohol or drugs — they should not get behind the wheel of a
vehicle. It is illegal in all states to drive impaired by alcohol or drugs.
Remember: Driving while impaired is illegal, period. The bottom line is this: If You Feel Different, You Drive Different.
It’s that simple.
If you’re
heading out for a night of Super Bowl fun, make a game plan and follow these
simple tips for a safe and happy evening:
·
Remember
that it is never okay to drive drunk. Designate a sober driver or a ride to get
home safely if you plan to drink.
·
If you see a
a drunk driver on the road, contact the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office.
·
Have a
a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make
arrangements to get your friend home safely.
Remember: If
you drive drunk, you may lose money, your reputation, your car, and even your
life. Everyone should know by now that it is illegal to drive impaired. Even
still, thousands die each year in drunk-driving-related crashes. In 2018, there
were 10,511 people killed in drunk-driving crashes. The costs can be financial,
too: If you’re caught drinking and driving, you can face jail time, lose your
driver’s license and your vehicle, and pay up to $10,000 in attorney’s fees,
fines, car towing, higher insurance rates, and lost wages.
For more
information on the dangers of drunk driving, visit https://www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov/get-materials/drunk-driving/buzzed-driving-drunk-driving/super-bowl.
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