CHP Warns Drivers of Super Bowl Drunks

Law enforcement agencies across California cracked down on drunk driving on Super Bowl Sunday.

Nowhere is that effort more focused than here in the Bay Area -  the home of the San Francisco 49ers.

A new study out this week added some sobering statistics for people who will be out on the road Sunday.

Alcohol-related car crashes are 75 percent more likely in California on Super Bowl Sunday than on other comparable Sundays in January and February, according the Automobile Club of Southern California. This accident rate was much higher than a similar study done in 2004. 

The auto club blamed the increase on the growth of Super Bowl promotional events.

“That appears to have caused the day to become even more dangerous on the road in recent years,” researcher Steve Bloch told the LA Times.

In San Francisco, eight law enforcement agencies have come up with a Super Bowl specific "Avoid the 8 DUI Task Force" which, among other things, had roving DUI checkpoints throughout the city Sunday night starting at 7 p.m.

“Drunk driving is always preventable, and driving drunk could result in seriously injuring or killing yourself or someone else,” said San Francisco Police Sgt. William Murray.

In Santa Clara, 13 agencies conducted extra DUI checkpoints, including the Sunnyvale and Mountain view police departments, both of which were live tweeting their DUI checkpoints.

"I think it's a great idea," said Christina Mehl, who was stopped for a field sobriety test in San Jose and passed with flying colors.

The CHP reported nearly a quarter of collisions in California on Super Bowl Sunday in 2010 – the most recent year with complete data – were alcohol related. CHP officers make an average of nearly 450 DUI arrests on Super Bowl Sundays.