Super Bowl Sunday is just around the corner and millions of football fans across the country are beginning preparations for the big game. 1.33 billion chicken wings will be consumed, 12.5 million pizzas will be ordered, and 325 million gallons of beer will be drunk on this one day. Unfortunately, this particular party is also synonymous with several party fouls, most notably impaired driving. While you prepare for this American tradition, keep in mind these Super Bowl Sunday safety tips.
PREGAME:
- Designate a Sober Driver: in 2011 the NHTSA reported that alcohol-related, motor vehicle fatalities occurred every 53 minutes on Super Bowl Sunday.
- Know Your Limits: Each person absorbs and metabolizes alcohol at different rates; however, the legal driving limit of .08% BAC is the same for everyone. Know your limit.
- Party Host: Not one party guest wants to leave with food poisoning, making food preparation a Super Bowl Sunday safety tip worth mentioning. Cook all meats to safe cooking temperatures, wash and clean all food preparation surfaces, including your hands and keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. When it is time to clean up, don’t hesitate to discard perishable foods that have sat out longer than two hours.
GAME TIME:
Party Host:
- Eat: Plan to serve multiple types of finger foods, snacks, and other substantial food choices throughout the game. This will help reduce effects of alcohol.
- Drink: Plan to offer several non-alcoholic beverages choices, measure alcohol in cocktails, and most importantly, do not serve anyone under the age of 21.
- Close the Bar: Replace alcoholic beverages with coffee, water, and desserts at the beginning of the fourth quarter.
Party Guest:
- Know Your Limits: Enjoy the party, but know your limits.
POSTGAME:
- Stick to the Plan: Utilize your designated sober driver or call one of the easily accessible rides sharing platforms. As the party host, do not allow a party guest to leave your house if they have had too much to drink. As the host, you can be held responsible if a guest you have served ends up in a drunk driving crash.
- Defensive Driving: If you do drive on Super Bowl Sunday, buckle up and use your defensive driving skills!
Make Super Bowl Sunday safety part of the tradition. Host responsibly, celebrate responsibly and drive responsibly.
sources: forbes.com, cdc.org, nhtsa.gov