Super Bowl Partygoers, Designate a Driver; Says AAA

If you're planning to watch the big game with family and friends this weekend, AAA Mid-Atlantic is urging you to designate a sober driver or arrange for alternate transportation.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data finds that 40 percent of all traffic fatalities that occur in the United States on Super Bowl Sunday are alcohol-related.

"The Super Bowl is one of the biggest and most entertaining national sporting events," said Tracy Noble, spokesperson for AAA Mid-Atlantic.  "But drinking and driving is not a game.  It's a deadly combination.  So make the right play.  Before you stock up on the wings, nachos and beer, make it a point to plan how your guests will get home safely.  If you're attending a party away from home, be a safe and sober driver."

Find a link to a list of "Sober Ride" programs by state here.

AAA offers the following tips for a safe Super Bowl Party

• If you plan to drive, don’t drink.
• If you plan to drink, select a designated driver and give them your car keys. If you don’t have a designated driver, ask a sober friend for a ride home; call a cab, or stay where you are and sleep it off until you are sober.
• Buckle up—it’s your best defense against other impaired drivers.
• If you observe an erratic driver while on the road, try to stay behind their vehicle and out of harm's way and call 911 or the police and report the driver.

 Be a responsible host:

• Offer food and non-alcoholic beverages.
• Make sure all of your guests designate their sober drivers in advance, or help arrange ride-sharing with other sober drivers.
• 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 while impaired.