IINC Offers Tips for Being a Responsible Host

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If you're planning to throw a Super Bowl party on Sunday, remember that being a truly gracious host means more than putting out the baby-backs and beer. All hosts should make sure there are plenty of non-alcoholic options available and that the gathering includes a number of designated drivers, according to the Insurance Information Network of California.

On Sunday, February 7, millions of Americans will drive to a friend or family member's house to watch the Indianapolis Colts play the New Orleans Saints for Super Bowl XLIV. While the big game is one of the most exciting events of the football season, it is also one of the most dangerous as roads are filled with too many impaired drivers.

According to the most recent figures from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2008, alcohol-impaired-driving crashes accounted for 32 percent of total motor vehicle traffic fatalities. On Super Bowl Sunday, 49 percent of the fatalities occurred in crashes in which a driver had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level of .08 or higher. Overall, more than 13,000 Americans died that year in crashes involving an impaired driver.

Young men -- ages 21 to 34 years old -- are the core audience for major sporting events such as the Super Bowl and are also the most likely to drive while intoxicated, according to NHTSA. They are also the most likely to drive fast and not wear their seatbelts.

"Those convicted of drunk driving can also face huge increases in their auto insurance rates, which can more than double," said Candysse Miller, executive director of IINC. "Some insurers may also refuse to insure drivers with a history of impaired driving."

If you are planning to host a party, IINC suggests the following:

--Encourage guests to pick a designated driver who will refrain from drinking alcoholic beverages.

--Be responsible yourself. Limit your own alcohol intake so that you will be able to judge if a guest has had too much to drink and should not get behind the wheel of a car.
 
--Provide plenty of non-alcoholic beverages for guests.

--Have an ample amount of food on hand. Drinking on an empty stomach causes quicker ingestion of alcohol.

--Stop serving liquor at the end of the game's third quarter and switch to coffee, tea and soft drinks.

--Keep the numbers for local cab companies handy. If guests drink too much or seem too tired to drive home, call a cab, arrange a ride with a sober guest or insist that they sleep at your home.

If you are attending a Super Bowl party or watching at a sports bar or restaurant:

--Designate your sober driver before the party begins and leave your car keys at home.

--Avoid drinking too much alcohol too fast. Pace yourself -- eat enough food and alternate with non-alcoholic drinks.

--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 and get you; or just stay where you are until you are sober. Also find out if your community participates in a safe ride program and keep the number handy.

--Buckle up -- it's a great defense against other impaired drivers.
 
Find more information on preventing drinking and driving on the MADD Web site, NHTSA's Fans Don't Let Fans Drive Drunk program and from IINC's DUI Awareness: Battle of the Bartenders.

IINC is a non-profit and non-lobbying trade association dedicated to helping the public understand insurance and manage risk. For more information, please visit www.iinc.org. IINC is also on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/iinc and on Facebook at http://companies.to/iinc.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Insurance Information Institute
MADD
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration