Driving Drunk's a Losing Play on Super Bowl Sunday

We’re not going to say who we like in today’s Super Bowl game, but we will tell you what we don’t like: drinking and driving. As Dame Helen Mirren says in the ad Budweiser produced for Super Bowl 50, it’s just not very smart.

We’ll add that it’s dangerous and downright deadly.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2013 10,076 men, women and children—one-third of all traffic fatalities--were killed in vehicle accidents involving impaired drivers. That means 30 people each day, that’s one every 51 minutes, are killed in accidents that just shouldn’t happen. Ohio’s not immune from the carnage, 322 of our friends and neighbors were killed by drunk drivers in ’13.

As one of the area’s leading personal injury/auto accident law firms, we’ve seen first-hand the physical, psychological and financial devastation caused by drunk driving. Surviving family members often struggle for years as they attempt to rebuild lives that have been shattered in an instant because someone who’s been drinking decides to get behind the wheel of a car or truck or jump on a motorcycle. Sadly, hopes and dreams for the future may die right along with those who become innocent victims of drunk drivers.

If the prospect of injuring or killing innocent people doesn’t provide sufficient motivation to deter drunk driving, the serous personal and financial consequences associated with DUI may do the trick. Those convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs or both face thousands of dollars in legal fees and fines, the loss of driving privileges, and extremely high insurance premiums. Those convicted of DUI, especially those who cause accidents, injuries and death, often lose their jobs and spend time in jail.

Bottom line: viewed from any perspective, driving drunk just doesn’t make sense.

Later today either the Denver Broncos or the Carolina Panthers will be the team that wins Super Bowl 50. We want you to be a member of winning team: the team that doesn’t drink and drive. That doesn't mean you can't have a great time as you root for your favorite squad--you'll notice Helen Mirren is having a beer while she's castigating anyone who even thinks about driving drunk, it just means you have to be smart when you party. If you’re going out to watch the game choose a designated driver, hire a limo or call a cab. If you’re hosting a Super Bowl party make sure your guests don’t over-indulge and if they do be a real friend, take their keys and don’t let them drive no matter how much they protest. That’s a real winning play.

And remember, if you or a family member are involved in an accident caused by an impaired driver contact the legal team that’s big enough to take on the insurance giants: Betras, Kopp & Harshman.