Where fans get hurt more than players

Every year at the end of January, men go to battle shedding blood,

sweat and tears on an open field of freshly cut grass. Tens of

thousands of loyal surveyors sit on the edge of their seats overcome

with emotion as a contagious fiery passion runs rampant throughout

the stadium.

This testosterone driven event is known as the Super Bowl.

Everywhere in America, the sound of beer cans opening mixes with the

smell of heart-stopping cholesterol-saturated foods wafting through

the air.

Unfortunately, in the anticipation, people overlook that Super

Bowl Sunday is one of the deadliest drunk driving days of the year.

On an average day, 44 people die in alcohol-related traffic

crashes, which accounts for 40% of highway deaths. On each of the

past six Super Bowl Sundays, an average of 59 people were killed in

alcohol-related crashes, constituting 54% of highway deaths that day.

In the year 2000, 62 people were killed in alcohol-related traffic

crashes on Super Bowl Sunday, accounting for more than 59% of all

road deaths that day.

Not all companies are unaware of the danger of drunk driving.

Budweiser has set up a safe ride home program at the Super Bowl for

people who have consumed too much alcohol. It seems ironic, since

with each 30-second spot that played this Super Bowl, they spent more

than $2 million in advertising to get them drunk in the first place.

On Jan. 26, Tampa Bay and Oakland went head to head, resulting in

a victory for the Buccaneers. Celebration was left at the gate of the

parking lot, however, as people entered the hazardous streets filled

with drunk, tired and emotional drivers. Sadly, this year, automobile

crashes went up 68% in the state with the losing team, 6% in the

winner’s state, and 42% in neutral states.

If we continue on this path of annual increasing deaths on the day

of the Super Bowl, this wonderful event will soon be overshadowed by

the grief of fatal accidents and permanent injuries. As an

intelligent people, let us not ruin a timely American tradition over

momentary stupidity.

* ASHLEY MICHAELS is a Newport Harbor High School junior whose

columns will appear occasionally in the Forum section.