Hamilton Co. Sheriff Urges Use Of Super Bowl Sunday Sober Drivers

HAMILTON COUNTY, IN -- Super Bowl LII goes down Sunday in Minneapolis, so there's still time to make a plan of action when it comes to finding - or being - a sober driver. Yes, the Colts aren't in the big game this year, but many people will be headed out to watch Sunday's game. The Hamilton County Traffic Safety Partnership, a consortium of law enforcement agencies in the county, says they're huddling up with state and local-law enforcement agencies across the county and the state to urge all football fans to designate a sober driver, use a cab, or request a ridesharing service (Uber, Lyft: FYI - they are both free to download and easy to use).

What falls under the "impaired driving category you may ask? Alcohol, prescriptions, illegal drugs and even some over-the-counter medication may cause impairment when combined with alcohol or another drug, HCTSP says.

Talk to your doctor or don't drive until you know how a new drug or a higher dose affects you.

"Whether you call it drunk, buzzed, wasted, high or stoned, impaired driving means going to jail and losing your driver's license," said Hamilton County Sheriff Mark Bowen, in a release sent to Patch.

Again, law enforcement recommends these safe alternatives to impaired driving:

• Designate – or be – a sober driver
• Use public transportation
• Call a cab or a ridesharing service.
• Download the SaferRide mobile app on the Android Play Store or the Apple iTunes Store. This simple app only has three options: call a taxi, call a friend, and identify your location for pickup.
• Celebrate at home or a place where you can stay until sober.
• Throwing a party? Offer non-alcoholic beverages and plenty of food.
• Never provide alcohol to minors.
• Ask young drivers about their plans.
• Friend or family member about to drive? Take the keys and make alternate arrangements.
• Report impaired drivers by turning off the road away from the vehicle and call 911, as impaired driving is three times more common at night than during the day.

Signs of impaired driving include:

• Weaving, swerving, drifting, or straddling the center line
• Driving at a very slow speed
• Braking erratically
• Making wide turns
• Stopping without cause
• Responding slowly to traffic signals
• Driving after dark with headlights off
• Almost striking an object or vehicle
• Driving on the wrong side of the road
• Turning abruptly or illegally

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HCTSP reminds the public that with all of today's options for getting home safely, there's no excuse for getting behind the wheel impaired as it endangers you and everyone else around you. In every state it is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher. In Indiana, drivers under 21 with a BAC of .02 or higher are subject to fines and a license suspension for up to 1 year.

Sober drivers can tweet @NHTSAgovduring the Super Bowl broadcast to be featured on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Wall of Fame.

More: Hamilton County Sheriff

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