Law Enforcement will be out in full force protecting us from drivers who are incapable of safe driving
due to alcohol and/or drugs. Impaired drivers will be arrested and face the consequences. A DUI arrest is often referred to as the $ 10,000 drive home as that's what all the fines and costs add up to or exceed.
Super Bowl Sunday is one of America's biggest and most entertaining national sporting
events. Friends and families gather to socialize and watch the big game whether it's in a private home or public location. Yet, similar to some holidays, it is also one of the Nation's most dangerous days on the roadways due to impaired driving.
Impaired driving-related crashes and fatalities are preventable. Designating a sober driver should be
on the top of everyone's Super Bowl party list. Arrangements need to made in advance, not during the game when it's too late. Alcohol impairs a person's judgment and often a person makes the wrong choice under the influence.
"We're reminding everyone that real Super Bowl Fans Don't Let Fans Drive Drunk," said C. Stephen
Erni, executive director, PA DUI Association, (Harrisburg Headquarters)."If your game plan includes alcohol, make sure you have a designated driver in your starting line-up. We are asking all party hosts and bar owners to take extra good care of designated drivers this year. Designated drivers make sure everyone gets home safely. For taking on such an important responsibility, they should be rewarded."
Having a designated driver should be an obvious call in everyone's play book. Making sure designated
drivers know how much we appreciate their responsible decision is what will make this year's celebration extra special - and extra safe."
SOME REMINDERS FOR SUPER BOWL FANS
If you are hosting a Super Bowl party:
Make sure all of your guests designate their sober drivers before kick-off or help arrange ride-sharing
• with other sober drivers
• Find unique ways to recognize the designated drivers at your party:
o Give them a great spot to watch the game
o Whatever non-alcoholic beverage they are drinking, make sure their glass is always
full
o Let them have the first pass at the buffet table
o Make sure their cars are easy to access when it is time to start driving people home
• Serve plenty of food
• Offer a variety of non-alcoholic choices like soft drinks, juice, and water
Serve one drink at a time and serve measured drinks
Only serve alcohol to guests over 21 years of age
• Determine ahead of time when you'll stop serving alcohol, such as one hour before the end of the party or at the end of the third quarter of the game (just like NFL stadiums) and begin serving coffee and dessert
• Add the numbers of local cab companies into your phone so they are just one touch away
Take appropriate steps to prevent anyone from driving while impaired
• Be prepared for guests to spend the night if an alternative way home is not available
• If you are attending a Super Bowl party or watching at a sports bar or restaurant:
• Designate your sober driver before the party begins and leave your car keys at home if you plan to
drink
• Find unique ways to recognize the designated drivers when you are out at a bar or restaurant
o Offer to be the designated driver the next time you go out
o Cover the cost for parking or even pay for a tank of gas
o Whatever non-alcoholic beverage they are drinking, make sure their glass is always
full
o Pick up the tab for their food and drink
• Before you go out, add the numbers for local cab companies in your cell phone so if you find yourself in need of a ride, it is just one touch away
Always buckle up - it's your best defense on the road
MYTHS ABOUT ALCOHOL AND DRINKING
Myth: As long as you stick to beer and wine, instead of hard liquor, the intoxicating effects are minimized.
Fact: One 12 oz can of beer, 5 oz glass of wine and 1.5 oz of hard liquor all equal the same alcohol content.
Count certain drinks that contain more than 1.5oz of one type of alcohol as more than one drink such as martinis.
Myth: Someone who has had too much to drink will show visible signs of impairment.
Fact: Physical appearance can be misleading; just one drink can impair one's ability to drive safely because judgment and motor skills are the first to be affected by alcoholic beverage consumption.
Myth: Drinking coffee makes a person who has had too much to drink sober up more quickly.
Fact: Time is the only solution to intoxication. It takes about one hour to eliminate each drink consumed.
Fact: Pennsylvania has an implied consent law, if you are requested by a law enforcement officer to submit to a chemical test whether its blood or breath; you must submit or lose your driving privileges for one year, automatically if you refuse.
Driving impaired or riding with someone who is impaired is simply not worth the risk because the
consequences are serious and real. Not only do you risk killing yourself or someone else, the trauma and financial costs of a crash or an arrest for impaired driving can be significant. Please act responsibly. Pass your keys to a sober driver before the big game begins. And remember, real Fans Don't Let Fans Drive Drunk.
For more information, please visit www.StopImpairedDriving.org
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