As people get ready to celebrate Super Bowl Sunday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has some sobering numbers for those who don’t make the proper travel plans after the parties.
According to the NTSB, 40 percent of all traffic fatalities on Super Bowl Sunday are alcohol related. AAA Mid-Atlantic said party planners and football fans should prepare for the festivities by designating a sober driver or arranging for alternate transportation options.
"Drinking and driving is not a game. It’s a deadly combination and a crime,” said John B. Townsend II, manager of public and government affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic. “Call the right play and designate a safe and sober driver before you start your celebration. Don’t fumble when it comes to safety.”
AAA Mid-Atlantic also offers some tips to those who attend parties and those who host the event.
Be a responsible partygoer:
- If you plan to drive, don’t drink.
- If you plan to drink, select a designated driver and give them your car keys. If you don’t have a designated driver, ask a sober friend for a ride home; call a cab, or stay where you are and sleep it off until you are sober.
- Buckle up, because it’s your best defense against other impaired drivers.
Be a responsible host:
- Offer food and non-alcoholic beverages.
- Make sure all of your guests designate their sober drivers in advance, or help arrange ride-sharing with other sober drivers.
- Stop serving alcohol at the end of the third quarter of the game and begin serving coffee and dessert.
- Keep the numbers for local cab companies handy, and take the keys away from anyone who is thinking of driving while impaired.
