During Super Bowl LVIII, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is teaming up with your local police departments to remind football enthusiasts that Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk. This year, The Big Game falls on Sunday, February 11, 2024. If you plan to drink alcohol, plan for a sober ride home. If you’re hosting a party, take care of your guests. Keep reading for tips on how to stay safe on Super Bowl Sunday.
Designated Drivers
- You’re the night’s quarterback. Take your role as designated driver seriously — people are relying on you. If you’re attending a party, enjoy the food and nonalcoholic drinks. Refrain from any alcoholic beverages or other drugs.
- If someone you know has been drinking and tries to drive, call a foul. Take their keys and help them get home safely. They may complain, but they’ll thank you later.
Prepare for a Safe Party
If you plan to attend a party, make sure your evening includes a plan for getting home safely. Follow these safety tips, and you’ll be on your way to being an MVP.
- You know the rules: It’s illegal to drive drunk. Before you head out to a 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.
- Make sure your designated driver is actually sober. If he or she decides to drink unexpectedly, call a sober ride.
Hosts
If you are hosting a Super Bowl party, be sure all your guests have a sober ride home.
- Ask your guests to designate their sober drivers in advance.
- Encourage your drinking guests to pace themselves, eat food, and drink plenty of water.
- Serve a selection of nonalcoholic drinks.
- Do not serve alcohol to minors. If an underage person drinks and drives, the person who provided the alcohol can be held liable for any damage, injury, or death caused by the underage driver. In fact, you can 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 become another statistic.
- More than 13,000 people are killed in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes annually.
- Although it’s illegal to drive when impaired by alcohol, one person is killed every 39 minutes in a drunk-driving crash on our nation’s roads.
- The rate of alcohol impairment among drivers involved in fatal crashes is nearly twice has high at night than during the day.
- Males are more likely than females to be driving drunk when involved in fatal crashes.
- Drunk driving can have a range of consequences, including the possibility of causing a traumatic crash. These crashes could cause you, someone you love, or a total stranger to suffer serious injuries or even death. The social and emotional ramifications of drunk driving are far-reaching as well; imagine having to live with the knowledge that you made a choice that caused someone else’s injury or death.
- The financial impact from impaired-driving crashes is devastating. Crashes in which alcohol was the cause resulted in $57 billion in economic costs.
For Super Bowl LVIII, be a team player and remember: Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk. For more information on the dangers of drunk driving, visit www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving.
