 "We are reminding everyone this weekend that if you plan on drinking
alcohol while cheering your team on to victory, pass your keys to a
sober, designated driver before the Super Bowl party begins," said
IDOT Secretary Milton R. Sees. "In Illinois, ‘You Drink & Drive, You
Lose.' We know one of the teams will lose the game, but let's make
sure there are no losses on Illinois roads."Every year, Super
Bowl Sunday is a time when friends and families gather to socialize
and watch the big game. Yet, it can also be one of the nation's most
dangerous days on the roadways, due to impaired driving.
As part of Super Bowl weekend, law enforcement agencies statewide
will conduct roadside safety checks and other stepped-up impaired
driving enforcement details. Illinois State Police will be making
sure impaired drivers are off the roads, and will be performing
Alcohol Countermeasure Enforcement saturation patrols and roadside
safety checks throughout the state.
"Throughout Super Bowl Sunday, the Illinois State Police will
remain diligent in enforcing ‘driving under the influence' and other
fatal five violations, including speeding, seat belt use, improper
lane usage and following too closely," said Illinois State Police
Director Larry G. Trent. "Law enforcement recognizes the big game
brings fans together to celebrate, and as is often the case,
alcoholic beverages are a part of the celebration. Unlike the Super
Bowl, life is not a game. If you choose to drink, ask someone to be
a designated driver or call a taxi service to make sure you arrive
home safely."
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
130 people, representing 39 percent of all traffic fatalities, died
during the 2006 Super Bowl weekend in crashes involving impaired
drivers with blood alcohol concentration levels of 0.08 or higher.
In Illinois, 22 people have lost their lives in motor vehicle
crashes during the past five Super Bowl Sundays. Statistics show six
of these fatalities involved alcohol. Last year on Super Bowl
Sunday, six people lost their lives on Illinois roads; none of those
fatalities involved alcohol.
[to top of second column]
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If you are hosting a Super Bowl party:
-
Remember, you can
be held liable and prosecuted if someone you serve ends up in an
impaired-driving crash.
-
Make sure all of
your guests designate their sober drivers in advance, or help
arrange ride-sharing with other sober drivers.
-
Serve lots of food,
and include nonalcoholic beverages at the party.
-
Stop serving
alcohol at the end of the third quarter of the game, and begin
serving coffee and dessert.
-
Keep the numbers for local cab
companies handy, and take the keys away from anyone who is
thinking of driving impaired.
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 give that person your
keys.
-
If you don't have a
designated driver, ask a sober friend for a ride home; call a
cab, sober friend or family member to pick you up; or, just stay
where you are and sleep it off until you are sober.
-
Never let a friend
leave your sight if you think they are about to drive while
impaired. Remember, "Fans Don't Let Fans Drive Drunk."
-
Always buckle up -- it's still your
best defense against an impaired driver.
This stepped-up impaired driving enforcement is funded by federal
traffic safety funds through IDOT's Division of Traffic Safety. For
more information about the Division of Traffic Safety's impaired
driving and safety campaigns, visit
http://www.dot.state.il.us/safety.html.
[Text from
Illinois
Department of Transportation
file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information] |
