As one of America’s most anticipated and celebrated sporting events, the Super Bowl brings together families, friends and fans each year to enjoy the excitement of the big game. In many instances, fans will gather to watch the game at sports bars, restaurants or Super Bowl-themed parties. The U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, along with the National Football League and TEAM (Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management), have joined forces with Berks Counties local highway safety and law enforcement officials to spread an important safety message to the public about designating a sober driver on Super Bowl Sunday – Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk.

“Before choosing to drink, choose a sober designated driver. Avoid the unsportsmanlike conduct of driving drunk by handing off your keys so that you, your passengers and everyone on our roads can safely arrive home,” said Officer David Bentz, Berks County DUI Enforcement Coordinator, “Drunk driving is always preventable, and driving drunk could result in seriously injuring or killing yourself or someone else. Motorists can expect Berks County Police to have a visible presence and to stop anyone who makes the dangerous decision to drink and drive.”

According to NHTSA, 10,228 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes in 2010. These drunk-driving fatalities accounted for 31 percent of the total motor vehicle traffic fatalities in the United States. In addition, alcohol impairment among drivers involved in fatal crashes was almost twice as high during the weekend (31%) than during weekdays (16%) and four times higher at night (37%) than during the day (9%).*