Super Bowl Sunday Second Deadliest for Drunk Driving Accidents in Tuscaloosa, Nation

Feb 2, 2012 - Car Accidents, Tuscaloosa by Cross & Smith

The Super Bowl is this Sunday! Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots. While neither of the teams are from Alabama, people throughout the state are sure to pile in front of the TV to enjoy the biggest football game of the year with friends and family members. Some of us will be gathering at house parties. Others will be getting together at local restaurants and bars for Super Bowl parties. What none of us should be doing is getting behind the wheel after consuming alcohol.

Super Bowl Sunday sees more drunk driving car accidents in Tuscaloosa and elsewhere than any other day of the year aside from New Year’s Day. This year’s drunk driving prevention campaign is called “Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk,” and it’s being put on by the U.S Department of Transportation (USDOT), law enforcement officials nationwide and the Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management (TEAM) Coalition. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a subsidiary of the USDOT, there have been roughly 180,000 football fans have already signed up to be a designated driver this season. These drivers are the key to safer roadways, especially on Super Bowl Sunday.

Our Tuscaloosa drunk driving accident attorneys understand that February 5th is going to hold some serious celebrations for football fans nationwide. Most of these celebrations will offer alcohol and many fans will be indulging. What we need to avoid is allowing these fans from getting behind the wheel. That’s where a designated driver comes in. Before the celebrations begin, fans should designate a sober driver. There are expected to be nearly 150 million people watching the big game from a television set this Sunday. There should be plenty of sober drivers available. It’s your responsibility to team up with one.

Nationwide, DUI enforcement efforts and sobriety checkpoints will be plenty. Officers are on the hunt for drunk drivers and have already predicted an increase of arrests on Sunday. Historically, more than half of all fatal car accidents that occur on Super Bowl Sunday are alcohol-related. In fact, experts predict about 325 million gallons of booze will be consumed on that one day. That’s enough beer to fill nearly 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

“Drafting a designated driver this weekend will be the correct play call for a sure win,” reports the NHTSA.

A designated driver is a player on your team and is helping to get you home safely. You’re urged to take care of your designated driver. They are helping to save your life. Offer to pay them for some of the gas or for the parking. Make sure they’re comfortable and enjoying themselves. Offer to pick up the tab. Non-alcoholic drinks and Super Bowl finger foods aren’t going to bust the bank. Make sure their non-alcohol beverage is always filled up. Your designated driver is a true friend, looking out for your safety and the safety of others on roadways statewide.

If you don’t have a designated driver, there are alternatives. Stay at a hotel or a friend’s home, get a taxi cab, or use public transportation. Whatever you do, don’t get behind the wheel. It’s a sure way to wind up in handcuffs or the hospital.

Enjoy Super Bowl Sunday and keep safety as your power play!

More Blog Entries:

Football Season Increases Risk of Drunk Driving Accidents, Alabama Injury Attorneys Blog, September 13, 2011