Super Bowl Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over

February 09, 2023

During Super Bowl LVII, the Arlington Heights Police Department is joining with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)to remind football fans everywhere that Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk. Super Bowl LVII is on Sunday, February 12, 2023. If you’re heading 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 night’s end.

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 — people are relying on you. If you are attending a party or are at a bar or restaurant, enjoy the food, the company, and the nonalcoholic drinks. Encourage other designated drivers on social media by using the hashtag #DesignatedDriver. 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. They may complain, but they’ll thank you later.

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.

Have a Game Plan
Whether you are attending a party or going to a bar or restaurant, make a game plan and follow these simple tips for a safe and happy evening:

Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you’ve had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use a ride service or call a taxi or sober friend to get home safely.
If you see a drunk driver on the road, call 9-1-1.
Do you have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.

Only one team wins Super Bowl, but if you drive drunk, you lose. Everyone should know by now that it is illegal to drive impaired. In 2020, there were 11,654 people killed in drunk-driving crashes. 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.

Make a commitment today to refrain from drunk driving. For more information, visit www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving.