Gwinnett Daily Post

The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety has issued a stern warning this Super Bowl Sunday, urging pigskin partygoers to stay off the roads or find a designated driver.

According to the GOHS, one out of every five Georgia crash fatalities is alcohol-related. Those numbers typically increase during Super Bowl weekend, officials said. During Super Bowl XLI weekend in 2006, 39 percent of traffic fatalities were alcohol-fueled. That number jumped to 48 percent during Super Bowl XLII in 2007.

Gwinnett County police spokesman Cpl. Edwin Ritter said their DUI task force has been known to alter its hours depending on special dates and holidays.

“They have not made any announcements to us that they plan on doing this for the Super Bowl,” he said, “but that doesn’t mean they won’t be looking for Super Bowl partiers.”

The GOHS offered a few tips for big-game partygoers and hosts:

• Serve plenty of food, including soft drinks, juice and water.

• Stop serving alcohol at the end of the third quarter, just like at NFL stadiums.

• Keep local cab company numbers handy for impaired guests.

• Designate a sober driver before the party begins.

• Pace yourself.

• Never let a friend out of sight if you think they are about to drive impaired.

For more information, visit www.stopimpaireddriving.org.