This is not the time for an option play.
On Sunday, the day of Super Bowl 50, there will be lots of game-day socializing and that means a lot of drinking. Therefore the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Schuylkill County 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,” David Everly, regional coordinator with the North Central Regional DUI Enforcement Program, Pottsville, said.
He said the NHTSA’s “Fans Don’t 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.
Driving impaired could result in injury or death for that person or others on the road, Everly said.
He added that according to data from NHTSA, 9,967 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes in 2014, 31 percent of all vehicle crash fatalities in the nation.
Everly said those numbers increase on weekends when 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 0.08 or higher, the set limit in all states,” Everly said. “This February 7, don’t become a tragic Super Bowl stat.”
Everly said that drunk driving is completely preventable. “All it takes is a little planning. We want fans to remember that it’s a choice. Drink or drive but never do both.”
He stressed that 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,” Everly said, adding that the NHTSA’s new SaferRide mobile app is also available.
The app helps people who have been drinking get a safe ride home, helps users call a taxi or a friend and identifies their location so they can be picked up.
Everly said that 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, he said.
“Being a sober, designated driver is a key role on Super Bowl Sunday, you might just save a life,” Everly said.
“If you’re hosting a Super Bowl 50 party, designate a responsible driver before the game begins,” Everly said. “One way to thank your designated driver is by tweeting us their name during Super Bowl 50, which will appear on NHTSA’s Wall of Fame.”
He said that any person marked as a designated driver can also tweet his or her name during the Super Bowl to be placed on the NHTSA’s Wall of Fame as well.
For more Super Bowl weekend safety information, visit www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov/SuperBowl.