Choose a winning team on Super Bowl Sunday: Drinking OR Driving
IDOT, Law Enforcement remind everyone: fans don’t let fans drive drunk

[January 31, 2015]  LINCOLN - CHICAGO – As America’s most watched national sporting event, the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb.1, will be celebrated across the country. Because Super Bowl events and parties are likely to include alcoholic beverages, the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Illinois State Police and local law enforcement throughout Illinois are urging fans to plan, by choosing a designated driver.

Plan ahead for Super Bowl Sunday, by designating a sober driver to get you home safely, because “Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk.” If you don’t play by the rules, law enforcement has another message – “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.”

The Illinois State Police and more than 100 local police departments and sheriff’s offices will be out in force this weekend, stepping up enforcement on drunk driving and seat belt compliance.

“The Super Bowl represents a wonderful and fun American tradition -- but we all need to be smart and stay safe,” said Acting Illinois Transportation Secretary Erica Borggren. “That means planning ahead and being able to hand your keys over to a sober driver.”

In Illinois over the last five years (2010-2014), 18 motor-vehicle fatalities occurred on Super Bowl Sunday. Nine of those fatalities, or 50 percent, involved a driver who had been drinking.

"Drunk driving remains one of the highest contributory causes of fatal crashes,” said ISP Colonel Mike Zerbonia. “ISP Troopers will strictly enforce DUI's during Super Bowl weekend. Choosing alcohol over your safety and the safety of others can only lead to tragic defeat,” he stressed.

The Illinois Department of Transportation suggests the following tips for a safe Super Bowl Sunday:

If you’re attending a Super Bowl party or watching the game at a sports bar or restaurant

• Choose your team: Drinking or Driving
• Decide who your sober driver is before the party even begins.
• If you choose to drink, pace yourself.
• Eat plenty of food and alternate with non-alcoholic drinks.
• Keep track of how much you have had to drink.
• If you don’t have a designated driver, call a cab, friend, or family member to come get you, or, if possible, stay where you are for the night and don’t drive until you are sober.
• Use your community’s sober ride program, if available.
• Always buckle up. It’s still your best defense against other drunk drivers.

If you’re hosting a Super Bowl party

• Help all of your guests designate their sober drivers in advance, or help arrange ride-sharing with sober drivers.
• Serve plenty of food and non-alcoholic beverages at the party.
• If you plan to stay sober, offer to drive guests home.
• Encourage your guests choosing to drink to pace themselves.
• Host your party like the stadium: Stop serving alcohol at the end of the third quarter of the game. The fourth quarter is perfect for serving coffee and dessert.
• Keep the phone numbers of local cab companies on hand and take the keys away from anyone who is thinking of driving drunk.
• Never let a friend drive drunk. Arrange for them to get home safely as well.

Always remember:

• You can be held liable and prosecuted if someone you served ends up in a drunk-driving crash.
• Parents or other adults who provide alcohol to a minor may be legally liable and could face jail time for any damage, injury or death caused by the underage driver.

The “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” Super Bowl Crackdown is funded with federal traffic safety dollars and administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation. Be sure to catch the latest episode of The Driving Dead at thedrivingdeadseries.com 

[Illinois Department of Transportation]