If
you plan to drive: Don’t drink
Be a
designated sober driver, help save lives. Remember these tips on game night:
- Take your role as designated driver seriously. While at the party, enjoy food and non-alcoholic drinks. Refrain from any alcoholic beverages or drugs. People are relying on you.
- Brag about your MVP status on social media using the hashtag #designateddriver. Your positive influence could help keep other sober drivers on the right track.
- Always buckle your seat belt and require your passengers to do the same. Don’t start the car until all passengers’ seat belts are buckled.
- Remember: Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk. 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 in the moment, they’ll thank you later.
If
you plan to drink: Don’t drive
Before you
ever leave the house, make a plan for having a fun, safe night out. Follow
these safety tips, and you’ll be on your way to your own Super Bowl win.
- You know the rules—it’s illegal to drive drunk. Before you head out for the Super Bowl party, make a game plan that includes a sober driver—someone who will not drink at all, and will safely bring you home.
- Remember that alcohol isn’t the only substance that can keep you from driving safely: Marijuana, like many other drugs, affects a driver’s ability to react to their surroundings. Driving is a complex task, and marijuana slows reaction times, affecting the driver’s ability to drive safely.
- Download and use NHTSA’s SaferRide mobile app. The app helps people connect with a safe ride home by calling a taxi or a friend, and by identifying the app user’s location so they can be picked up. The app is available for Android devices on Google Play, and Apple devices on the iTunes store.
- Make sure your designated driver is actually sober. If he or she decided to drink unexpectedly, don’t worry about insulting them. Call a cab or call someone else who you know hasn’t been drinking.
- Don’t let friends (and fans) drive drunk. Help arrange a safe way for them to get home, too.
- When you ride home with your sober driver, make sure you—and your driver—wear your seat belts. It’s your best defense in a crash.
- Remember, walking impaired can also be dangerous. Designate a sober friend to walk home with you.
- If you find yourself unable to get home safely, ask the host if you can stay for the night.
If
you’re hosting the Super Bowl party:
Want to
win the night? Designate a responsible sober driver to help your guests get
home safely.
- Ask your guests to designate their sober drivers in advance, or help them coordinate with other partygoers’ designated drivers.
- If you don’t drink, offer to drive guests home.
- Encourage your drinking guests to pace themselves, eat food, and drink plenty of water.
- Serve a selection of non-alcoholic drinks.
- Do not serve alcohol to minors. If an underage person drinks and drives, the person who served the alcohol can be held liable for any damage, injury, or death caused by the underage driver. In fact, you could face jail time if you host a party where alcohol is served to people under the age of 21.
Know
the risks:
Impaired
driving is a serious problem with serious consequences. Don’t ruin your night by
becoming another statistic.
- In 2017, there were 10,874 people killed in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes, accounting for 29 percent of all crash fatalities.
- The consequences of drunk driving are not only often fatal—they’re expensive. Drunk drivers face jail time, the loss of their driver licenses, higher insurance rates, and many other unanticipated expenses, including attorney’s fees, court costs, car towing and repairs, and lost wages due to time off from work. In fact, the average DUI court case costs approximately $10,000.
- Know your State’s laws: refusing to take a breath test in many jurisdictions could result in arrest, loss of your driver’s license, and impoundment of your vehicle. Not to mention the embarrassment in explaining your situation to family, friends, and employers.
For Super Bowl LIII, be a team player and remember: Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk. For more information, visit www.TrafficSafetyMarketing.gov.
