Iowa Department of Public Safety
Larry L. Noble, Commissioner
215 East 7th Street
Des Moines, Iowa 50319

Super Bowl Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk

Des Moines, IOWA --- As the teams start making their final push towards the playoffs and Super Bowl XLVI looms large around the corner, remember if you are going to celebrate do it responsibly!  In 2010, fatalities in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes accounted for 31 percent of all motor vehicle traffic fatalities. In Iowa, alcohol-impaired-driving crashes accounted for nearly 25% percent of all motor vehicle traffic fatalities.

"The message is simple, 'Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.'  Drinking alcohol and driving do not mix.  If you plan to consume alcohol, you should also plan not to get behind the wheel of a vehicle or ride a motorcycle,” said Colonel Patrick Hoye of the Iowa State Patrol.

Nationally 10,228 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2010 in which an impaired driver or motorcycle rider had a blood alcohol concentration of .08 grams per deciliter or higher. In Iowa, 90 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2010 in which an impaired driver or motorcycle rider had a blood alcohol concentration of .08 grams per deciliter or higher.

Don’t feel like you’re pinned up against the goal line. You have several options when it comes to not drinking and driving:

• Plan a safe way home before the festivities begin;
• Before drinking, designate a sober driver and leave your car keys at home;
• If you’re impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation;
• Use your community’s sober ride program;
• If you happen to see a drunk driver on the road, don’t hesitate to contact your local law enforcement; and
• And remember, 'Drive Sober Or Get Pulled Over.'  If you know someone who is about to drive impaired, help him or her make other arrangements to get home safely.

On Monday morning following the big game, you want to visit about football, not the loss of a friend or relative.

For more information, please contact the Iowa Governor's Traffic Safety Bureau, your local law enforcement agency or visit:  http://www.nhtsa.gov/Impaired.

For questions, contact: Denny Becker at 515-725-6128.

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