XENIA — With Super Bowl LVIII less than a week away, Greene County Public Health’s Safe Communities Coalition is urging residents to “get ahead of the game and create your game plan now.”
Whether you’re hosting a Super Bowl viewing party or attending one, GCPH health said everyone has an important job to do: Help keep drunk drivers off the road so everyone can all make it home safely on game night. During Super Bowl LVIII, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is teaming up with Greene County Public Health’s Safe Communities Coalition, along with Greene County law enforcement agencies, to remind football fans everywhere that fans don’t let fans drive drunk.
If you’re going out to a Super Bowl party and you plan to drink alcohol, make sure you plan for a designated driver to get you home safely at the end of the night. If you’re hosting a party, prepare plenty of food and non-alcoholic drink options for your guests, especially for the designated drivers. If you’re a designated driver, be the night’s MVP and keep that commitment front and center.
“The Super Bowl is a special night each year for our community to come together to celebrate, but we need responsible drivers on our roads,” said Loressa Gonyer, Safe Communities Coalition coordinator. “If you are planning to be away from home during Super Bowl, make a game plan to ensure you don’t find yourself without a designated driver if you need one. If you’re hosting a party, make sure you take care of your designated drivers. Remind your friends and family: Fans don’t let fans drive drunk.”
More than 13,000 people are killed in drunk-driving crashes annually, and nearly one person is killed every 39 minutes. Fatalities in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes increased from 14 percent to 31 percent in recent years, according to a release from GCPH. Drunk driving can have a range of consequences, including the possibility of causing a traumatic crash. These crashes could cause you, someone you love, or a total stranger to suffer serious injuries or even death, GCPH said.
Help set up your team — your friends, family, and other party-goers — for a night of success.
Host a winning party
If you’re hosting a party for this year’s Super Bowl, prepare plenty of snacks and nonalcoholic drinks for your guests and the designated drivers. Ask your guests to designate their sober drivers in advance. Remind drinking guests that they have a long evening ahead of them, and encourage them to pace themselves, to eat food, and to drink plenty of water. Another important reminder: Never serve alcohol to minors. If an underage person drinks and drives, the person who provided the alcohol can be held liable for any damage, injury, or death caused by the underage driver, GCPH said.
Be the DD MVP
If you’re planning to be a designated driver, know that you’re the night’s MVP. Commit to a sober evening. If you are attending a party or are at a bar or restaurant, enjoy the food, the company, and the nonalcoholic drinks. Your positive influence could help keep them on the right track. If someone you know has been drinking and tries to drive, take their keys and help them get home safely. Remember: You’re the night’s quarterback, and others are relying on you.
Have a game plan
There are plenty of options to help impaired drivers get home safely, such as designating a sober driver or calling a taxi or rideshare. If you see a drunk driver on the road, do not hesitate to call 1-800-GRAB-DUI or *DUI.
For more information, visit www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving. For more information on Greene County Safe Communities, call 937-374-5655 or email [email protected].
