With the excitement of the Heat participating in the NBA playoffs and baseball season in full swing, it is probably a good time to remind motorists to drink responsibly at the game in an effort to avoid a drunk driving accident in Miami or elsewhere in South Florida.
Our personal injury lawyers in Fort Lauderdale enjoy a good game as well as the next person. But we also understand that far too many fans try to drive home while intoxicated. Affording the hefty price of beer at stadiums and arenas is one thing. Don’t think for a second you can afford to drink and drive and risk the chance of killing someone in a drunk driving accident.
Earlier this year, the University of Minnesota completed a study on fans at sporting events and the amount of alcohol that was in their system as they left the stadium. Bloomberg Businessweek reported that the study found that 1 in 12 fans who were tested were legally drunk. The study used two different sports venues, though did not announce which ones. They tested the blood alcohol concentration of a total 382 willing participants following a total of 16 professional football or baseball games. Of those tested, 8 percent of fans were found over the legal limit when given the breathalyzer test. In addition, the fans who tailgated prior to the game were 14 times more likely to leave the game intoxicated than fans who didn’t tailgate before the game. One in four tailgaters responded that they had at least 5 alcoholic drinks while hanging out before the game. The study found that older fans over the age of 35 were 9 times less likely to be drunk than someone who was under 35.
An interesting note about the respondents, only an average of 20 fans volunteered after each game and the majority of participants were male. A small percentage of respondents, only 14 percent were age 51 or over while 55 percent were between the ages of 21 and 35.
I am sure everyone has attended a sporting event at least once with an annoying fan who is wasted beyond belief. The alarming thing about this particular study is that sports venues are filled with tens of thousands of fans. If 8 percent of fans who leave the arena are intoxicated and they try to drive home at the same time, the odds are pretty good that someone will be involved in a drunk driving accident.
Unfortunately, CF News 13 reports that it isn’t only drunk drivers we need to be concerned about. Alcohol-related incidents like vandalism and assault occur quite frequently inside the stadium when fans have had too much to drink.
The article suggests that fans should do the following to avoid becoming a statistic:
-In Florida, heat can lead to dehydration so drink water in between each alcoholic beverage.
-Be sure to eat plenty of food while you drink. Not only does it fill you up but it keeps you hydrated and slows your ability to drink more.
-If you drink, know your limit and cut yourself off well before you reach it. If you have had too much to drink, ask a responsible party to drive you home or sit with you in the parking lot long after the game has ended.
If you have been involved in a drunk driving accident, or suffered an injury from an alcohol-related incident, contact Freeman, Mallard, Gonzalez & Sharp to discuss your rights. Call us for a free consultation at 1-800-529-2368.