TOPEKA (KSNT) - Alcohol is a major part of Super Bowl celebrations, so Kansas transportation officials and law enforcement are cracking down on drunk driving for the big game.
In Kansas last year, 59 people died and more than 1,000 people were injured as a result of alcohol related crashes according to preliminary data from the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT).
"If you give people a reason to party, they're going to," KDOT's Behavioral Safety Manager Gary Herman said. "So, what we want to do is make sure that they do it safely. What happens sometimes is people don't have a plan, they didn't intend to get that drunk or have that many drinks, and then they get in their car because they don't have any options in their mind."
To help keep Kansas roads safe this Super Bowl weekend, KDOT is partnering with law enforcement agencies across the state to educate and prevent.
"Law enforcement is trained across the state to spot people who drive under the influence," Herman said. "Our purpose is prevention. We want people to know that the police are out there and you can't escape them."
Herman says driving under the influence of any substance is not only against the law, but reduces your chances of making it to your destination safely.
"Impairment starts with the first drink. It just gets worse the more drinks that you have, so it's not worth the risk," Herman said. "When people say, 'How many drinks can I safely have?' We tell them none. There is no safe method to determine how many alcoholic drinks you can have and then drive."
KDOT tells 27 News it has contracted with around 150 local law enforcement agencies.
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