The U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), National Football League and TEAM (Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management) have joined forces with Northumberland County local highway safety and law enforcement officials to spread an important 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," said Coal Township Patrolman and Northumberland County DUI Enforcement Coordinator Edward Purcell. "Avoid an unsportsmanlike conduct of driving drunk by handing off your keys so that you, your passengers and everyone on our roads can safely arrive home."
He added, "Drunk driving is always preventable and driving drunk could result in seriously injuring or killing yourself or someone else. Motorists can expect Northumberland County police to have a visible presence and to stop anyone who makes the dangerous decision to drink and drive."
31 percent
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 percent) than during weekdays (16 percent), and four times higher at night (37 percent) than during the day (9 percent).
For more information, go to TrafficSafetyMarketing.gov.
