(Media release from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety):
The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety is joining the Georgia State Patrol, GOHS Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic (H.E.A.T.) teams, and GOHS Traffic Enforcement Networks in asking fans before Super Bowl LVI to call the winning play to never drink and drive.
If alcohol is on the menu to watch Sunday’s championship game, fans are asked to plan for a sober ride from the party before it kicks off because Georgia officers have a zero tolerance policy for DUI driving.
While fans are watching the game, state troopers and local law enforcement officers will be working to save lives by taking all drivers over the legal Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) level of .08 to jail.
“State troopers and local law enforcement officers do not want to have to arrest anyone for drunk driving, but they do it because every drunk driver taken off the road has the potential to save one or more lives,” Governor’s Office of Highway Safety Director Allen Poole said. “Preventing drunk driving is a team effort, and we ask everyone to join the effort to eliminate all drunk driving deaths in Georgia by making the right choice to never get behind the wheel over the limit.”
Drunk driving is still a deadly problem in the United States, where 10,142 people died in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes in the United States in 2019. In Georgia, alcohol is a factor in approximately one out of every four traffic deaths.
The Georgia State Patrol investigated 628 crashes that killed seven people over a three-day period from Friday through Sunday during last year’s Super Bowl weekend. Troopers also made 229 DUI arrests across the state and issued 1,534 speeding citations during the same three-day period.
“Every drunk driving death is preventable because they are all caused by someone making the wrong decision to get behind the wheel after drinking,” Poole said. “Having a sober ride set up before the party kicks off allows you to enjoy the game with your friends and avoid the risk of a DUI arrest that can cost up to $10,000 in court fines, fees, and higher insurance premiums.”
The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) offer these safety tips:
- Make sure your designated driver is sober before getting on the road.
- Always thank those who volunteer to be the sober driver and offer them non-alcoholic beverages.
- Party hosts should make sure all their guests have a sober ride home.
- Let guests know they can spend the night if they are too impaired to drive.
- Encourage guests to pace themselves in eating and drinking.
- Offer non-alcoholic beverages to all guests.