Whether you are a football fan, friends with one, or you just watch for the commercials, millions of viewers will be tuning in on Sunday, February 7th for Super Bowl 50. Some go out to sports bars, others throw parties for the occasion, and while it is all in good fun, what happens when you’ve had a bit too many to drink?

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2012, 43 percent of all traffic fatalities on Super Bowl Sunday was caused by intoxicated driving. This compares to 31 percent of fatalities caused by car accidents for the year as a whole. While you should enjoy the biggest game of the year, there are also ways to stay safe when traveling the roads during that weekend.

How to Spot a Drunk Driver

Maybe you did not consume an alcoholic beverage; however, unfortunately, there still may be others sharing the roads with you that are driving under the influence. Although there will be many DWI checkpoints on our roadways that weekend, be sure to be on the lookout for drivers exhibiting these signs:

• Weaving frequently and not able to drive in a straight line
• Making wide turns
• Driving at slower speeds than usual
• Stopping without a cause
• Driving on the wrong side of the road

Reporting a Drunk Driver

If you have the misfortune of coming across a driver guilty of any of the actions listed above, please don’t be a bystander and help to keep your community safe. Follow these tips on how to report a drunk driver…

• Stay as far away from the vehicle as possible
• Do not try to pass the vehicle or signal it to pull over, this may cause an accident
• Without disrupting or becoming distracted from your own driving, safely take notice of the license plate and the make, model, and year of the vehicle
• Pull over and call 911

Avoiding Drunk Driving Accidents

While staying home is the safest option, if you must travel on Super Bowl Sunday or are having a Super Bowl event, here are some ways to avoid being involved in a drunk driving accident.

1. Assign A Designated Driver.

Make someone the MVP, the most valuable person, at your Super Bowl party by naming him or her as the designated driver. This should be a person that takes on the responsibility of not drinking at all during the party so they can drive your guests home safely when the game concludes.

2. If you are throwing the party be sure to offer plenty of non-alcoholic beverage choices.

Keep the designated driver entertained with non-alcoholic beverages while also giving others the option not to drink. These choices can be as simple as a variety of soda choices or have fun with it and come up with non-alcoholic drinks that represent each of the teams that are playing in the Super Bowl.

3. Offer your home as a place to spend the night.

With the game taking place in February, you could experience bad driving conditions here in Central New York such as icy roads. Combine that with drinking and driving and you have a recipe for disaster. Keep everyone safe by offering your guests a place to stay for the night. By opening up your home to them you know that they are safely off the roads until morning.

4. Call a cab for your guests that have had a little too much to drink.

Since the Super Bowl is on a Sunday, many of your guests have to work the next day. If this makes staying over impossible, opt to call them a taxi and let the taxi driver get them home safely.

5. Ask your guests that are planning to drink to give you their car keys.

This will allow you to be the determining factor if they are too intoxicated to drive. Your guests cannot drink and drive if they do not have their keys! Do not return them unless they are sober or have a ride set up with a designated driver. You may look like the mother hen of the party, but at least you know that your guests will arrive home safely.

6. Create a cut-off point for your guests.

If you have ever attended a sporting event you see that most of them stop serving alcohol after half time is over. Create a cut-off point where you stop serving alcohol at your party, perhaps after everyone has enjoyed the half time show. This will allow you to limit the number of drinks that your guests will be able to consume before they drive home.

Impaired driving is a serious offense and should not be taken lightly. The Super Bowl may be the most exciting game of the year, but there is no reason why it shouldn’t also be safe for everyone traveling on the roads. Don’t open yourself up to a lawsuit by seriously injuring someone or criminal charges and being arrested for a DUI or DWI by getting behind the wheel of a car after you have consumed alcohol…the risk to your own life, your passengers, and others on the roadway is NEVER worth it.

If an unfortunate incident happens and you or a loved one is injured in a serious car accident on Super Bowl Sunday, choose an experienced attorney that has a proven track record of helping people in Utica and Central New York that have been the victim of a drunk driving accident. Call Brindisi, Murad, Brindisi & Pearlman today. We are Utica auto accident lawyers and are here to help you get the compensation that you deserve.

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Tags: Car Accidents