TRENTON
– For thousands of New Jersey residents,
Super Bowl Sunday means driving to house
parties and neighborhood bars to enjoy the
big game. That combination of travel and
partying can prove deadly, Attorney General
Peter C. Harvey warned.
“Statistics
show that Super Bowl Sunday has been super
deadly when it comes to alcohol-related
traffic fatalities,” said Attorney
General Harvey. “Enjoy the game and
be safe. If you are drinking at a party,
have a designated driver.”
Attorney
General Harvey noted figures compiled during
the last 10 years by the New
Jersey State Police Fatal Analysis Reporting
System which show that 71 percent of the
fatal crashes that occurred on New Jersey’s
roadways on Super Bowl Sunday were alcohol
related. By comparison, the statistics show
that, on average, about 32 percent of the
fatal crashes on other days were alcohol
related.
During
the past 10 years, there were 15 alcohol-related
traffic deaths on New Jersey’s roadways
on Super Bowl Sunday – exactly the
same ten-year total that was recorded for
the 24 hours beginning at midnight on New
Year’s Eve. That is nearly three times
the average number for other days of the
year. There were five alcohol-related traffic
deaths on a single Super Bowl Sunday in
New Jersey when the Giants played in 2001.
“Given
the potential hours for alcoholic consumption
before the final whistle of the game, it’s
easy to see why Super Bowl Sunday is one
of the most dangerous times of the year
when it comes to drinking and driving,”
said Roberto Rodriguez, Director of the
New Jersey Division
of Highway Traffic Safety. “Everyone
wants to have a good time at Super Bowl
parties, but there are simple steps that
must be taken to avoid turning a day of
fun into a day of tragedy. The first is
to designate a sober driver before the game.”
“Don’t
bet your life or your license on a gamble
like drunk driving,” said Colonel
Rick Fuentes of the New Jersey State Police.
“This Sunday, state troopers will
cover the roads like an All-Pro cornerback
shadows a wide receiver.”
“Most
road crash fatalities, particularly those
which are alcohol related, are preventable.
Alcohol dulls your reflexes and impairs
your judgment,” said Steven Ross,
M.D., Division Head, Level I Trauma Center
at Cooper University Hospital in Camden,
where the most severely injured accident
victims in South Jersey are taken. “Before
you begin any drinking, arrange for your
designated driver or plan in advance to
stay overnight at the place where you are
drinking. And remember to give up your keys.
This can help to save your life and the
lives of others.” |