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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
OPERATION SAFE HOLIDAY
Super Bowl Sunday
It may be a different way to celebrate this year;
but impaired is still impaired!
(February 5, 2021) - Harrisburg, PA - Super Bowl Sunday may have a different appearance this year due to the pandemic and the lifestyle changes currently in place. Typical bars, taverns and restaurants won't be packed with patrons watching the big game in a crowded public area but that won't stop fans from watching in private homes and holding family watch parties. The change in location to participate won't change the usual consumption of alcoholic beverages nor will it change the facts; when you're impaired you are unable to operate a motor vehicle safely and put yourself, passengers and other drivers on the road at risk of injury or death.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Crash Facts and Statistics from 2019 sharply outline Pennsylvania's impaired driving problem:
- On average, there were 26 alcohol related crashes each day in Pennsylvania.
- On average, 0.8 people were fatally injured in alcohol related crashes each day in Pennsylvania.
- On average, 16 people were injured in alcohol related crashes each day in Pennsylvania.
Executive Director of the Pennsylvania DUI Association C. Stephen Erni expressed his concerns: "Although the pandemic has changed the specific venue for many people, Super Bowl parties and celebrations will still take place. Many of those gatherings will include alcohol and the potential for impaired drivers. Our overall goal at the Pennsylvania DUI Association is to protect families and save lives by educating the motoring public as to the dangers of impaired driving in order to prevent the tragedies that occur far too frequently on Pennsylvania's highways."
Just like the teams competing in the Super Bowl, have a plan before you head out:
- Game plan: Have a safe way to get home in place before you attend the party. Alcohol impairs judgment, as well as reaction time. If you're impaired, you're more likely to choose to drive drunk.
- Be an MVP: Designate a sober driver; take public transportation, a car service, or a call a sober friend or family member to get home. It's estimated that designated drivers have saved thousands of lives and spared many others from debilitating injury as a result of impaired driving.
- Play smart: Walking while impaired can be just as dangerous as drunk driving. Designate a sober friend to walk you home.
- Play safe: Wear your seatbelt. Seatbelts are your best defense against serious injury in a crash.
- Know the Rules: It's illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or higher in Pennsylvania. It is also illegal to drive impaired on illicit drugs or prescription medications (including marijuana).
When it comes to driving impaired, law enforcement will be out as always protecting the public by stopping, arresting and prosecuting impaired drivers. Driving is like every other aspect of life. Choices are made and the consequences of those choices impact our lives. Impaired driving is a choice made by a driver that could have expensive, embarrassing and possibly devastating, life altering consequences.
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