With the biggest sporting event of the year only hours away, local police are urging football fans and Super Bowl partygoers to use a designated driver.
The Maryland State Police will deploy additional patrols on the roads Sunday evening and troopers already on duty have been instructed to keep an especially close eye out for potential drunken drivers when not handling other calls.
“We must remain vigilant to maintain the safety of our motorists and for those traveling throughout Maryland,” state police Superintendent Colonel Marcus Brown said. “The aim of our extra drunk and aggressive driving patrols is to arrest those who choose to disregard the law and who endanger the lives of everyone.”
Last year, Maryland State Police arrested over 80 drunk drivers on Super Bowl Sunday.
Fairfax County police arrested 39 people for driving under the influence last year, and are urging members of the public to contact them at either 911 or (703) 691-2131.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 40 percent of fatalities from motor vehicle crashes on Super Bowl Sunday in 2010 stemmed from drunk driving.
If a designated driver is not available, authorities have asked partygoers to stay at a hotel or at the party location until sober. Taxis and other public transport should also be considered.
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Authorities have also reminded people hosting a Super Bowl party that they can be held liable if it is found that they served someone who ended up in an accident.
