Enjoy the Super Bowl responsibly
Super Bowl LX kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 8.
Even if a favorite team isn’t involved, the annual football championship provides a chance to block out the cold, snow and darkness of February for a few hours and get together with family and friends to celebrate touchdowns and argue referees’ calls.
According to RetailMeNot, a digital savings platform, 112.2 million people plan to host or attend a Super Bowl party, and another 16.2 million intend to watch the game in a bar or restaurant this year.
But along with the cheese dip and chips being served, so is alcohol, which can have deadly consequences once the final whistle has blown.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Super Bowl Sunday is among the riskiest days for drivers nationwide because of impaired driving.
Statistics by the NHTSA show fatal crashes increase by 41% following the Super Bowl. The most dangerous time to drive is the hour immediately after the game ends. Because of this, state and local police are planning extra roving patrols and checkpoints aimed at identifying impaired drivers and getting them off the road.
Anyone planning to attend a Super Bowl party this Sunday should either find a designated driver for the evening or not drink alcohol during the game. Party hosts should prepare plenty of food and provide nonalcoholic drink options for their guests who choose to abstain. Designated drivers should keep their commitment to remain alcohol free from kickoff until the final gun.
The designated drivers and responsible party hosts Sunday will be the real MVPs of the evening.
A Super Bowl should be remembered for the plays on the screen during the game and not a potentially awful event on the street afterward.
— EF
