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Police gear up for Super Bowl drunk driving crack down
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Super Bowl Party Safety Tips
• Make sure all of your guests designate their sober drivers in advance, or help arrange ride-sharing with other sober drivers.
• Serve lots of food and include lots of non-alcoholic beverages at the party.
• Stop serving alcohol at the end of the third quarter of the game and begin serving coffee and dessert.
• Keep the numbers for local cab companies handy, and take the keys away from anyone who is thinking of driving while impaired.
• Remember, you can be held liable if someone you served alcohol to ends up in an impaired-driving crash.  
If you are attending a Super Bowl party or watching at a sports bar or restaurant:
• Avoid drinking too much alcohol too fast. Pace yourself; eat enough food, take breaks, and alternate with non-alcoholic drinks.
• Designate your sober driver before the party begins and give that person your car keys.
• If you don’t have a designated driver, ask a sober friend for a ride home; call a cab, friend, or family member to come get you; or stay where you are and sleep it off until you are sober.
• Never let a friend leave your sight if you think they are about to drive while impaired. Remember, “Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk.”
• Always buckle up. It’s still your best defense against other impaired drivers.

It remains to be seen what kind of action will take place in Miami when the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts clash on the field, but the Stanislaus County Avoid the 12 is planning a blitz of their own.
The county’s anti-drunk driving campaign, overseen by the Turlock Police Department, will be out in force for Super Bowl Sunday with extra patrols planned throughout the county.
While Super Bowl Sunday can be a fun day of celebrating and partying for football fans, it has gained a notorious reputation as one of the worst days for drunk driving incidents. On Super Bowl Sunday 2009, 11 people were killed in drunk driving crashes in California, which is three times the daily average, according to the California Office of Traffic Safety. There were an additional 133 people injured  in collisions that involved alcohol, which was more than twice the daily average.
“We want to pass our safety message to everyone who will be drinking this weekend, real fans don’t let fans drive drunk,” said Turlock Police Chief Gary Hampton, who heads the Avoid the 12 grant for Stanislaus County. “Please make the right decision and pass your keys to a designated driver before the Super Bowl party begins. Getting caught driving while impaired will result in costly penalties including the loss of your driving privileges.” The Avoid the 12 grant is funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety and they have listed a number of tips to help keep drunk drivers off the road.
To contact Sabra Stafford e-mail sstafford@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2002.