CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NEWS RELEASE 2800 BERLIN TURNPIKE P.O. BOX 317546 NEWINGTON CONNECTICUT, 06131-7546
FOR RELEASE: February 1, 2008	FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:    OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS    TELEPHONE: (860) 594-3062    Fax: (860) 594-3066    Web site:www.ct.gov/dot

DOT and DPS: Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk

‘Pass Your Keys to a Designated Driver this Super Bowl Sunday’

Connecticut Public Safety Commissioner John A. Danaher III and Acting Transportation Commissioner Emil H. Frankel Connecticut Department of Transportation are reminding football fans that if they are watching the Super Bowl and celebrating with alcohol, they should to make the right call even before the kick-off and choose to have a designated driver.

“Real Super Bowl fans don’t let fans drive drunk,” Commissioners Frankel and Danaher said in a joint statement. “If you plan on drinking alcohol while cheering your team on to victory, pass your keys to a sober, designated driver before you start your Super Bowl party.  Follow the rules, or law enforcement will penalize you for driving impaired.”

This effort is part of the NFL’s season-long Responsibility Has Its Rewards national designated driver program. During the 2007/08 NFL season, more than 100,000 football fans pledged to be a sober designated driver. For 2008, it is expected that that number will continue to increase as more fans plan ahead and make the responsible, winning play.

Super Bowl Sunday is one of America’s biggest and most entertaining national sporting events as friends and families gather to socialize and watch the big game. Yet, it is also one of the nation’s most dangerous days on the roadways due to impaired driving.

According to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 130 people, representing 39 percent of all traffic fatalities, died during the 2006 Super Bowl weekend in crashes involving impaired drivers with blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels of .08 or higher. 

Remember - designating a sober driver should be on the top of everyone’s Super Bowl party list.

If you are hosting a Super Bowl party:

• Remember, you can be held liable and prosecuted if someone you served ends up in an impaired driving crash.
• Make sure all of your guests designate their sober drivers in advance, or help arrange ride-sharing with other sober drivers.
• Serve lots of food——and include lots of non-alcoholic beverages at the party.
• 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.

If you are attending a Super Bowl party or watching at a sports bar or restaurant:

• Avoid drinking too much alcohol too fast. Pace yourself—eat enough food, take breaks and alternate with non-alcoholic drinks.
• Designate your sober driver before the party begins and give that person your car keys.
• If you don’t have a designated driver, ask a sober friend for a ride home; call a cab, friend or family member to come and get you; or just stay where you are and sleep it off until you are sober.
• Never let a friend leave your sight if you think they are about to drive while impaired. Remember, Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk.
• Always buckle up – it’s still your best defense against other impaired drivers.

The NFL TEAM Coalition—an alliance of professional and collegiate sports, entertainment facilities, concessionaries, the beer industry, broadcasters, traffic safety experts and others—works to promote responsible drinking and positive fan behavior at all sports and entertainment facilities.