The Super Bowl is America’s most watched national sporting event. On Super Bowl 50, Sunday, February 7, there will be a lot of game day socializing that may include drinking. That’s why the US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Porter County Drunk Driving Task Force, and local law enforcement officials are urging football fans to call the play now: drinking OR driving. If you plan on drinking on Super Bowl Sunday, designate a sober driver to get you home safely.
The Porter County Drunk Driving Task Force has teamed up with NHTSA and their Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk campaign, which encourages people to make plans ahead of time that will prevent them from getting behind the wheel of a vehicle after drinking. Driving impaired could result in injury or death for you or others on the road.
According to data from NHTSA, in 2014, 9,967 people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes in the US – 31 percent of all vehicle crash fatalities in the nation. The numbers go even higher on weekends. (There were 5,447 alcohol-impaired driving fatalities, making up 40 percent of all fatalities that occurred during weekends.) A driver is considered alcohol-impaired with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher, the set limit in all states. This February 7, don’t become a tragic Super Bowl stat.
Drunk Driving is completely preventable,” said Tim Beach, chair of the Porter County Drunk Driving Task Force. “All it takes is a little planning. We want fans to remember that it’s a choice. Drink or drive – but never do both.”
For those who plan to drink, leave your keys at home. Designate a sober driver, whether it’s a friend, relative, taxi, ride share or public transportation. Use NHTSA’s new SaferRide mobile app. The app helps people who have been drinking get a safe ride home; it helps users call a taxi or a friend and identifies their location so they can be picked up. The app is available for Android devices on Google Play, and Apple devices on the iTunes store.
For those who plan to drive, refrain from any alcohol. Instead, enjoy the game with food and non-alcoholic drinks. Being a sober, designated driver is a key role on Super Bowl Sunday. You might just save a life.
If you’re hosting a Super Bowl 50 party, designate a responsible driver before the game begins.
The Drunk Driving Task Force is part of the Porter County Substance Abuse Council, Porter County’s oldest and largest coalition working to reduce substance abuse. For over twenty-seven years the Council has been working on prevention in the county and grant funding to local organizations. Anyone interested in the Council or its grants may contact Beatrice Owen at 219-462-0946 for more information.