Making an Impact
February 2023
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In This Issue
- Score the Big Win During Super Bowl LVII With a Commitment to Sober Driving
- Date Ideas for a Sober Valentine's Day
- Rainy Weather Driving Tips to Avoid Car Accidents
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Each year, Super Bowl garners millions of viewers, with many taking the opportunity to cheer on their favorite team with a night out or by attending a party.
To help keep us all safe on the roads, NHTSA is teaming up with State and local traffic safety advocates to remind football enthusiasts that:
Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk!
If you plan to drink alcohol, plan for a sober ride home. If you’re hosting a party, take care of your guests.
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Score the Big Win During Super Bowl LVII
With a Commitment to Sober Driving
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• Be the Designated Driver MVP
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If you’re planning to be a designated driver, know that you’re the night’s MVP. Commit to a sober evening – people are relying on you.
If you are attending a party or are at a bar or restaurant, enjoy the food, the company, and the nonalcoholic drinks. Encourage other designated drivers on social media by using the hashtag #DesignatedDriver.
Your positive influence could help keep them on the right track. If someone you know has been drinking and tries to drive, take their keys and help them get home safely. They may complain, but they’ll thank you later.
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Your positive influence could help keep them on the right track. If someone you know has been drinking and tries to drive, take their keys and help them get home safely. They may complain, but they’ll thank you later. | |
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If you’re hosting a party for this year’s Super Bowl, prepare plenty of snacks and nonalcoholic drinks for your guests and the designated drivers.
Ask your guests to designate their sober drivers in advance. Remind drinking guests that they have a long evening ahead of them, and encourage them to pace themselves, to eat food, and to drink plenty of water.
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Another important reminder: Never serve alcohol to minors. If an underage person drinks and drives, the person who provided the alcohol can be held liable for any damage, injury, or death caused by the underage driver. | |
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Whether you are attending a party or going to a bar or restaurant, make a game plan and follow these simple tips for a safe and happy evening:
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Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you’ve had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use a ride service or call a taxi or sober friend to get home safely.
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If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact Local Law Enforcement.
Do you have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.
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Only one team wins Super Bowl, but if you drive drunk, you lose. Everyone should know by now that it is illegal to drive impaired.
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In 2020, there were 11,654 people killed in drunk-driving crashes. Drunk driving can have a range of consequences, including the possibility of causing a traumatic crash.
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These crashes could cause you, someone you love, or a total stranger to suffer serious injuries or even death.
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Make a commitment today to refrain
from drunk driving.
Tuesday, February 14th is Valentine’s Day
Show the love by setting a good example
to those around you.
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7 Date Ideas for a Sober Valentine's Day | |
Here are some Valentine’s Day date ideas for sober couples. Choose one to try, or combine a couple of your favorites. | |
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Relax and pamper yourself with a trip to the spa. It’s a perfect way to spend meaningful time together away from the usual Valentine’s Day scene.
Enjoy couple’s massages, aromatherapy, facials, and other rejuvenating spa treatments.
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Most of these dates work any time of year, so return to this list if you run out of fun ideas for sober date nights at any point!
Many spas offer couple’s packages, and even Valentine’s Day specials. Wine is often included, so mention that you want an alcohol-free experience when you arrive, or when you book your spa day.
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Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be about extravagant gifts. It can also be about creating memories and moments together.
Take a road trip to a favorite spot, or somewhere you’ve never been.
Visit a nearby zoo, a natural attraction, or even a theme park (if you’re comfortable with their social distancing guidelines).
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You can take a day trip, stay somewhere overnight, or enjoy the full Valentine’s Day weekend out of town.
Whatever you do, you’ll get quality time with your partner focused on conversation and bonding, instead of alcohol.
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Whether during a road trip, or in your own backyard, enjoying nature is another romantic way to celebrate a sober Valentine’s Day together.
Watch a sunrise or sunset together, or try stargazing. Depending on where you live, you can visit mountains, a lake, a beach, or a nature reserve. See if your area offers experiences like hiking or horseback riding.
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If it’s not too cold where you live, other fun nature ideas include whitewater rafting, kayaking, and canoeing.
And if it is cold, try snow activities like skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, or something as simple as making snow angels—followed by sipping hot chocolate next to a warm fire.
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Food is basically its own love language.
That's why cooking together is an intimate and romantic Valentine’s Day date idea.
Like the other ideas on this list, it gets you away from the hustle, bustle, and alcohol use of common Valentine’s date locations like restaurants or nightclubs.
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Some companies sell couples’ trivia games, or decks of cards featuring questions designed to help couples connect and get to know each other more deeply.
You’re in your own home, so it’s
an environment you can control.
Make each other’s favorite foods, or choose some new recipes to try together— including dessert! Play music, light candles, and follow it up with a game night or a romantic movie you enjoy.
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Make mocktails as part of your dinner date, or as its own separate activity.
You can find tons of Valentine’s Day non-alcoholic drinks online, so browse a few lists and choose your favorites to try.
If you aren’t cooking dinner, pair your mocktails with finger foods like fruit, cheese, crackers, or a charcuterie board.
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Doing something active and engaging like an escape room can take your mind off spending Valentine’s Day sober.
Escape rooms are exciting and challenging, and they require communication and teamwork.
They’re also a fun idea for group dates if you have other friends or family members who want a fun, alcohol-free way to spend Valentine’s Day.
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Other active date ideas include mini golfing, laser tag, go-karts, batting cages, or obstacle courses. The possibilities are endless, so see what adventurous activities are available in your area! | |
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Try taking a ballroom or tango dancing class together. It’s intimate and enjoyable—and you might find a new sober hobby that the two of you will want to continue.
If dancing isn’t your thing, you might enjoy a class on cooking or painting. Plus, you always have the option to try a new hobby together at home.
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Spending Valentine’s Day alcohol free doesn’t have to be awkward or boring. You may find that sober dates are an even more romantic, enjoyable, and memorable way to celebrate Valentine’s Day together. | |
Rainy Weather Driving Tips to Avoid Car Accidents | |
Safety on the Oregon Roads | |
- Be especially careful when it rains after a long dry period. That’s when the oil and grease builds up on the road, and the first rain releases it, creating slippery conditions.
- Give yourself extra time to reach your destination, and drive at a slower pace than normal.
- When you need to stop the car, start braking earlier than usual. This allows room for extra stopping distance. It also signals the driver behind you that you’re planning to come to a stop.
- In addition, take curves and turns especially slowly.
- If possible, drive a little closer to the middle of the road, rather than hugging the right side of the lane. This helps you avoid the large puddles that collect on the side of the road.
- Also, if you see a large puddle ahead of you, steer around it if you can do so safely, or take a different route. The splash could send water into your car’s engine compartment and damage the electrical system, and puddles can disguise road hazards like potholes. It’s better to go a few blocks out of your way, if necessary.
- If you do cross a puddle, tap your brake lightly to help dry off the rotors.
- Do not use cruise control. If you do, and you hydroplane, it’s possible your car could accelerate.
- Always use headlights in the rain – even if it’s just a sprinkle. Headlights help you see and be seen in wet weather.
- Be especially vigilant about pedestrians. They may have part of their field of vision blocked by rain gear, and the rain tends to muffle sounds that usually alert pedestrians to approaching traffic.
- Finally, if the rain’s so bad that you can’t see the car in front of you, or you’re having difficulty seeing the road, pull over and wait for the storm to die down.
Oregonians might like to think of themselves as experts when it comes to the rain, but even a late-September downpour demonstrated just what resident drivers don’t know. Portlanders on their way to work found themselves sitting in stalled traffic while the accidents were cleared.
But what’s so difficult about driving in a little rain, anyway?
As it turns out, plenty. One problem is that the first rainstorms of the season tend to pull motor oil, grease, and dirt from where it has accumulated on the road. This makes the road slick, not just wet. In addition, water on top of asphalt can cause tires to lose traction. To top it off, rain decreases a driver’s ability to see clearly, reducing visibility through its effect on windshields and headlights.
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Although many people do slow down in the rain, others may not be aware of the need for extra caution, or may not know how to best ensure safe rainy-day driving. Or then again, they may dismiss it.
Keep yourself and your passengers safe during fall and winter drizzles and downpours.
Rainy roads can be dangerous, but if we all slow down and use extra caution, rainy days might actually be a little brighter this year.
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Drive Sober, Safe, and Happy!
from your
Friends at Oregon Impact
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