Contact: Tpr. Michael Webb
Ph: (502) 782-1780 or (502) 226-0660

(FRANKFORT, Ky.) – As one of America’s most anticipated and celebrated sporting events, the Super Bowl brings together families, friends and fans each year to enjoy the excitement of the big game. In many instances, fans will gather to watch the game at sports bars, restaurants or Super Bowl-themed parties. The Kentucky State Police (KSP) encourages fans to enjoy the game, but to make smart choices where alcohol is involved.   The agency will participate in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) campaign called Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk by increasing patrols before, during and after the game.

“Before choosing to drink, choose a sober designated driver.  Avoid the unsportsmanlike conduct of driving drunk by handing off your keys so that you, your passengers and everyone on our roads can safely arrive home,” says Tpr. Michael Webb.  “Drunk driving is always preventable, and life is too precious to be lost in a senseless tragedy that causes indescribable hardship.”

KSP recently partnered with the HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers©, a multi-state program that promotes the use of sober drivers during celebrations such as the Super Bowl.  The HERO Campaign was inspired by the tragic loss of Ensign John Elliott, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, who was killed in a collision caused by a drunk driver.

Webb advised the campaign was recently adopted in Kentucky and provides an online format for citizens and retail liquor establishments to participate in the program.  Businesses, including bars, taverns, and restaurants, are encouraged to support the campaign by displaying posters and window decals and serving free soft drinks to sober, designated drivers.

“The HERO program is not an anti-drinking campaign,” says Webb.  “Instead, it is a project that encourages common sense and responsibility by promoting individuals who serve as designated drivers.”

Webb encourages citizens and retail liquor establishments to visit the Kentucky Hero webpage to find out how they can become involved in the program at www.kentuckyheros.org.