Avoiding Philadelphia Car Accidents During Football Season

Whether you are a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles, Penn Quakers, Temple, Villanova or any other college or professional teams, you should be aware football season is underway. Anyone who is out on the roads during football season needs to know when game days are, because these days present a greater risk of car accidents.

According to the Department of Transportation research conducted in one state, there are 13 percent more impaired driving arrests on football game days compared with other days of the year. Football game days are among days with the highest rates of alcoholic beverage use.  As Mothers Against Drunk Driving reports, big game days like Super Bowl Sunday also have higher DUI crash rates, with 43 percent of fatal car accidents on the roads involve intoxicated motorists (compared with  31 percent on an average day).

Five Tips to Stay Safe from Car Accidents During Football Season

Once drivers know about added car crash dangers during football season, they can take steps to try to reduce the risk. Here are five tips to help you stay safe from car crashes on football game days:

• Try to avoid driving near Philadelphia-area stadiums – such as Franklin Field or the Linc – if you aren’t going to be watching the game. According to ABC, one in 12 fans who leave football stadiums is impaired and over the legal limit. Many of these fans drive home, endangering others around the stadium.
• Be observant of other drivers. You need to be assertive in protecting yourself in case there is a driver on the road who is drunk. Avoid using a cell phone or other electronics that could distract you and pay careful attention so you can spot signs of an impaired driver and keep your distance.
• Contact law enforcement if you suspect someone may be impaired. If you see a driver who is having a hard time keeping his lane or who otherwise appears to be intoxicated and driving in an unsafe way, contact law enforcement so they can take action. Provide as many details as you can to help police find the suspected drunk driver.
• Avoid drinking and driving if you are watching the game. If you are watching the game, consider skipping the alcohol.  Forty-five percent of spectators watching football said they drink at least three drinks, which could put you over-the-limit. If you do plan to drink, be sure you have a designated driver lined up first.
• Take away the keys of friends or family members who have had too much. You can stop those you love from hurting themselves and others by taking their keys if they can’t safely drive.

Every football fan and every motorist on the roads should do their part to help bring down the high rates of car accidents on football game days so fans can enjoy sports without an added risk of getting hurt or killed on the way home from the game.