The state Department of Transportation and Lehigh Valley police are warning drivers to drink responsibly during the upcoming Super Bowl weekend. WDIY’s Sarit Laschinsky has more.
PennDOT and the Lehigh Valley DUI/Highway Safety Task Force said in a release that law enforcement in the area will be stepping up enforcement activities during the Super Bowl weekend.
Departments throughout the Lehigh Valley will be setting up sobriety checkpoints, which consist of police setting up a roadblock in a designated area and stopping each vehicle which passes through.
Police will test drivers who appear to be driving under the influence of alcohol and/or controlled substances.
The release also said roving patrols will be on the lookout for motorists that appear to be driving under the influence.
PennDOT said last year, there were 46 crashes involving a drinking driver from 6 p.m. on Super Bowl Sunday to 6 a.m. the following day, resulting in one fatality. There were 348 crashes statewide in that window of time.
The department also pointed to a new report from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety which found that unsafe driving behaviors, including impaired driving, rose from 2020 to 2021.
This included an increase of nearly 24% among drivers who admitted to getting behind the wheel after drinking enough that they felt they were over the legal limit.
PennDOT officials urge football fans to use a rideshare service, taxi or sober friend to get home safely if they have been drinking.
More information about PennDOT's highway safety efforts is available here.
The Lehigh Valley DUI/Highway Safety Task Force is a community organization comprised of PennDOT representatives, law enforcement, and members of the business and health care communities.
The organization seeks to raise public awareness about the dangers of impaired and aggressive driving, as well as the importance of seat belt usage.
(Original air-date: 2/9/23)
