Super Bowl LVII kicks off at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday night, and many Iowans have plans to gather with friends to watch the big game. Most of those parties involve alcohol, and that is why the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau (GTSB) are partnering with law enforcement agencies across the state for the “Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk” initiative. Iowa State Patrol Trooper and Public Resource Officer Shelby McCreedy says Super Bowl Sunday tends to see a higher-than-normal number of impaired drivers.
The average cost for an operating while intoxicated conviction is around $10,000 when fines, fees, and insurance rate increases are included. That is double the average cost of a single ticket to this year’s Super Bowl.
McCreedy says a few simple steps are all it takes to ensure fans arrive home safely after the game Sunday night.
As of Tuesday, Iowa has already recorded 29 traffic fatalities so far this year, a 61-percent increase from 2022 and 16 percent higher than the five-year average for this date. McCreedy says the current rate has the state trending to surpass 400 fatalities this year. Officers everywhere will be watching closely for any signs of impaired drivers this weekend.
