Super Bowl Sunday: Dangerous Day on the Roads

Super Bowl Sunday is considered one of the most hazardous driving days of the year, especially when impaired motorists drive home after partying all day.  Police say now is the time to make your Super Bowl Sunday plans including finding a designated driver.

Football fans around the country associate Super Bowl Sunday with finger foods, the big game and alcohol.  In fact, the Insurance Information Institute lists Super Bowl Sunday as one of the most hazardous driving days of the year, even topping New Years Eve for DUI's.

Trooper Tom Kelly with the state police says there may be a good reason behind that.  On New Year's most people know they will be drinking and make plans far in advance for a designated driver but on Super Bowl Sunday, fans may not think they will drink much and the game quickly turns into an all day event.  "New Years you ring in the New Year and then you go to bed.  These Super Bowl parties, you're there with friends, you're there having a good time. They start a lot earlier. They start at 5 o'clock some of these parties and they don't end until midnight."

Trooper Kelly says it's better to be safe than sorry and with the big game only four days away its time to start planning, "Either have it at your house so you don't have to leave, have it so people can stay over, or just avoid driving, or if you have to drive back and forth designate one person to drive you."

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration kicked off their campaign this week "Fans Don't Let Fans Drive Drunk".  Many areas will have extra patrols out on Super Bowl Sunday.