CHP released documentation that one person was killed in a DUI crash on Super Bowl Sunday in 2017, while 247 were arrested for DUI.
For many, Super Bowl Sunday is like a national holiday, and local law enforcement agencies will be treating it as such.
Holidays means parties, and parties translates to more people potentially drinking and driving. Authorities will be out in force this weekend, either with saturation patrols or DUI checkpoints.
The game is scheduled to begin just after 3 p.m. local time, but most parties will likely start sooner than that.
“The Fourth of July, New Year’s, St. Patrick’s Day are big ones where people tend to indulge (in drinking),” Colton police Sgt. Ray Mednez said. “The Super Bowl definitely falls into that category.”
Adds Montclair police Lt. Brandon Kumanski: “Be sure to have a game plan for the night so friends and family know who the designated driver is,” he said in a news release. “We want to encourage folks to turn over their keys to a sober driver before the game begins. Impaired driving can result in serious crashes, injuries or death.”
During last year’s Super Bowl, one person was killed in an alcohol-involved collision and 41 others were injured on California roads, according to numbers released by the California Highway Patrol.
Last year, there were 247 DUI arrests by CHP officers on Super Bowl Sunday, according to the CHP’s statewide integrated traffic records system.
The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office said there were 4,379 DUI-related cases filed in the county in 2017,50 from Super Bowl weekend.
The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration reported that in all of 2016 — the latest figures available — there were 10,497 fatalities involving drunk drivers and 1,059 DUI deaths in California.
“There are no excuses when it comes to driving under the influence,” acting CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley said in a CHP news release. “Leave your keys at home if you will be consuming alcoholic beverages and use public transportation, a designated driver or a ride-hailing service to stay safe.”
Pomona police remind drivers that alcohol isn’t the only way to get a DUI: driving while drugged also counts as impaired driving. Even drugs that are legally prescribed can affect driving habits, the agency warns.
Funding for the DUI operations are provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration.
The departments are also encouraging those who drink on Super Bowl Sunday to use the DDVIP mobile app — which helps drinkers arrange a sober ride through Uber, Lyft and Curb and alerts revelers to discounts and free non-alcoholic beverages for a designated driver.
Essentially, the California Office of Traffic Safety says in a news release, it gives designated sober drivers the VIP treatment they deserve.
