JEFFERSON CITY – For the first time in 50 years, Missouri’s very own Kansas City Chiefs are Miami bound for Super Bowl LIV. As you cheer on your home team next weekend, the only crash you should hope to hear is the crunch of football players colliding – not that of your vehicle into another. Throughout the weekend of February 2, there will be numerous Super Bowl celebrations happening across the state. Many of these celebrations may include alcohol. The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety urges football fans to get their game plan established ahead of time: plan a sober ride home.
In 2018, 203 people were killed and 541 seriously injured in traffic crashes that involved at least one substance-impaired driver.
“One bad decision can affect all of us,” said MoDOT Assistant to the State Highway Safety and Traffic Engineer Jon Nelson. “Help save lives – don’t drink and drive, and don’t let friends drink and drive.”
If you’re attending a Super Bowl party or watching the game at a sports bar or restaurant:
- Designate your sober driver or plan another way to get home safely before the party begins.
- If you don’t have a designated driver, then ask a sober friend for a ride home; call a cab, friend, or family member to come and get you; or just stay for the night.
- Never let friends drive if they’ve had too much to drink.
- If you know someone who is about to drive while impaired, take the keys and help them make safe travel arrangements.
If you’re hosting a Super Bowl party:
- Make sure all of your guests designate a sober driver in advance or arrange for alternate transportation to ensure they get home safely.
- Serve food and include 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 has had too much to drink.
Make this year’s bowl party SUPER. Whether you have had one too many or are way over the limit, impaired driving is not worth causing a traffic crash, serious injury or even death.
For more information on highway safety, go to www.saveMOlives.com or follow them on social media at Save MO Lives.
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