Missouri is ramping up to be the state of celebration involving the Kansas City Chiefs this weekend. You won't have to travel to Miami to be a part of the celebration. There are going to be plenty of Super Bowl parties this Sunday. On regular Super Bowl weekends, we like to remind everyone of traffic safety as we do any other major holiday. However, this weekend will be particularly celebratory for KC fans! Plan your safe ride home and keep everyone safe by avoiding motor vehicle accidents through a few minutes of planning.
Plan for Super Bowl as if it is New Year's Eve
Just as you plan ahead for safe travel on New Year's Eve, take those same safety considerations for this Super Bowl Sunday. Maybe you are planning a Super Bowl party at your house or perhaps you will head to a local pub or sports bar. Please plan ahead in regard to planning a safe, sober ride home. Here are some decisions to be made BEFORE Sunday celebrations begin:
Decide whether you are going to drink OR drive -you cannot do both
Plan Your Ride Home in Advance - designate a sober driver (not the person who has had the "least" to drink), use a taxi service or ride-share. Wait times will increase for taxi and ride-share services to plan accordingly
Download a Ride-sharing app such as Uber/Lyft before Sunday nigh t. Trying to operate an unfamiliar app can be extra challenging under the influence as are so many other things.
Be aware of others around you. If you see a friend trying to drive under the influence, speak up. That friend may be made at you temporarily, but saving them from a DUI or crash will be appreciated later.
If you see an impaired driver, pull over and get out of their way. And, call 911 to report it. It's not being a "snitch" if you are saving lives.
Drive Defensively. Reduce your speed, keep a careful lookout and follow all of the road signs. These are every-rules, but the likelihood of impaired drivers sharing the road with you may increase Sunday night.
If You are Hosting a Super Bowl Party:
If you are hosting and you are providing alcohol, realize that everyone does not always have a plan and they may need to spend the night. This fact alone may make you reconsider your guest list.
Provide non-alcoholic beverages as well
Stop serving alcohol at least an hour before you plan for your guests to leave.
Serve plenty of food and snacks.
Super Bowl merriment always extends hours after the game. If the Kansas City Chiefs win, then extended parties are guaranteed. If you are planning ahead enough to take they off from work on Monday, then you should be able to plan for safe, sober transportation home. Waiting until the end of the evening to start thinking about a safe ride home is really failing to plan.
Be Aware of Super Bowl Pedestrians
Not only do you have to worry about someone driving under the influence, you have to remember that many pedestrians may stumble or fail to keep a careful lookout as they are walking from their destination to their safe ride. They may suddenly stumble into traffic or fail to observe traffic lights. Walking while intoxicated can be deadly and is one of the leading causes of pedestrian-motor vehicle fatalities.
Maybe all of these safety reminders make you feel like you must babysit your friends. Really, that is not something new. Any time there are big celebrations and we are engaged in merriment with alcohol consumption, don't we all usually have to look out for one another? Very much like major holidays such as New Year's Eve, we all have to look out of the safety of our fellow comrades in celebration.
If You are Traveling Anywhere Including Miami
While not everyone can travel to Miami which is clearly the place to be simply due to the weather, there are some who are traveling to Kansas City to revel with other Kansas City fans. Likewise, across Missouri every sports bar in the smaller cities across the state are expecting high attendance. Equally, the number of residential Super Bowl parties are expected to be at an all time high. The last time that Kansas City made the Super Bowl, the co-headliner for the halftime show, Jennifer Lopez was 5 months old. You can only really appreciate this if you realize that Jennifer Lopez is 50 years of age.
In 1967, everyone could smoke in the stadium. At the half time, Len Dawson was photographed having a smoke on the sideline. It is likely you will not see any smoking even in the winners locker room. Many things have changed over those 50 years. Many, so many of us do not recall the 1967 Super Bowl game as many of us were small children or not even a thought. The Kansas City Chiefs only became the Chiefs in 1963 as they were originally founded as the Dallas Texans. The franchise won AFL titles in 1962, 1966 and 1969. To say it has been a long time coming is a understatement. But, if the St. Louis Blue's could pull it off after 50 years, so can the Chiefs.
Let's Celebrate a Chiefs Win, Safely
Few things are more gratifying than your favorite team winning! After celebrating the Blue's win for months, we are very much prepared to paint the town red with a Chief's win. Let us all do it safely! Nothing ruins a celebration like a DUI arrest or worse, a serious injury or fatal car crash. Maybe we make bad decisions while we celebrate but do not let traffic safety be on your list of bad decisions. We do not want a one-night party bad decision be a life-altering decision, so plan ahead.
If you are involved in a motor vehicle accident of any kind, we are available for quesitons.
