Have a Game Plan to Avoid a DUI on Super Bowl Sunday

Today is the big day!  If you are like me; you are getting ready for the Big Game.  I can already smell the appetizers and have my game jersey ready!  As a box score junkie, I am already checking the statistics. However, before the big game, there are another set of stats you should know. 

In 2014, Forbes reported that drivers using the ‘BACtrack' Breathalyzer app averaged a BAC (blood alcohol content) of .091 on Super Bowl Sunday; making it one of the biggest drinking days in America next to New Years Eve and St. Patrick's Day. Also, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 43% of all traffic fatalities occurring on Super Bowl Sunday are due to drunk driving.

Georgia, specifically, is making sure to clear the roads of drunk drivers this Super Bowl Sunday. Governor Nathan Deal has put out an anti-DUI Super Bowl PSA and wants Georgians to know that Super Bowl Sunday is the biggest day to get arrested and charged with a DUI in Georgia. Deal wants you to make your own “Game Plan” for a safe ride home. Here are some tips for your safe “Game Plan” this Super Bowl Sunday:

Having a party? Make sure plenty of food is served alongside alcohol and stop serving alcohol before the third quarter. The balance of food and beverage could help your body metabolize the alcohol faster. The presence of more recent alcohol consumption will likely show up on a Breathalyzer. By stopping drinks in the third quarter, you are giving your body time to break down the alcohol, as well as making sure that no residual mouth alcohol will be present in a roadside breath test.

Designate a driver. Lyft and Über are great options and are now offering lower rates for the rest of the season after they had underwhelming profits over the holidays. The two companies are now offering lower rates to rebound from fewer people taking the trendy new app-rides than predicted.  10-mile rides could range anywhere from $12-45; depending on your vehicle. New features to the safe driving app include fare-splitting among friends. That makes for a cheap and efficient ride this Super Bowl evening.

Even if Lyft and Über are unavailable in your area, cabs are always available, as well as calling a friend to pick you up. The cost of cab fare or an annoyed friend are substantially cheaper than the costs associated with a DUI arrest. Play it safe; get a ride and don't drive drunk.