Super Bowl Sunday is only a few days away!  Have you decided where you are going to watch Denver and Seattle go head to head?  If your game plan includes cheering on your favorite team at a friend’s house or at a local sports bar, be sure to include a sober driver as the final play.  

What you need to know

Our law enforcement partners will be on high alert Sunday evening looking for impaired and other unsafe drivers.  If you will be on the road, here is what you need to know: 

• This year, OHS scheduled 150 overtime DUI patrols for the NFL Playoffs and Super Bowl Sunday. 
• There will be one DUI checkpoint in Wilmington on February 2.
• Since January 1, 84 people have been arrested in Delaware for DUI- alcohol or drugs.
• Last year during NFL Playoffs and during  Super Bowl Sunday, officers statewide conducted 60 roving patrols and 3 checkpoints that  yielded:
  • 7 DUI and 13 Drug arrests;
  • 9 fugitive arrests;
  • 214 speed violations;
  • 17 cell-phone and 28 seat belt arrests; and
  • 250 other traffic and criminal arrests.

What you can do

Partying without a designated driver is like going into the huddle without a quarterback.  Each team going into the Super Bowl has a game plan.  You should have one, too: 

 If you are having friends over:

• Before kickoff, make sure each person has a sober designated driver.
• Serve plenty of high protein foods like meats and cheeses, or sandwiches …avoid the salty snacks which make people want to drink more.
• Always provide non-alcoholic drink alternatives – soft drinks, sweet tea, juice, and water.
• Stop serving alcohol at the end of the third quarter of the game (just like NFL stadiums). 

If you are watching at a friend’s house, sports bar, or restaurant:

• Designate a sober driver before you leave home or volunteer to be one yourself.
• Avoid drinking too much alcohol too fast or on an empty stomach.
• Pace yourself—eat foods rich in protein, take breaks, and alternate with non-alcoholic drinks.
• Finally, never let a friend leave your sight if you think they are about to drive while impaired.

Drive Sober. Arrive Alive DE.

This message is being sent to you by the Office of Highway Safety, who asks you to drive safely at all times.  For more information on this and other traffic safety programs, go to www.ohs.delaware.gov. 

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