Route 66 Enforcement Shifts to DUI this Super Bowl Weekend

This Super Bowl weekend, law enforcement focus on Route 66 will be changing to DUI enforcement.

The campaign, called “Get Your Clicks on Route 66,” started in Oklahoma in 2010, and has since spread through Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. It started with the idea of cutting down on fatal crashes, by emphasizing wearing seat belts and utilizing correct child restraints.

George Brown, an Oklahoma Lt, said that when it comes to fatal accidents, half of the victims are not wearing seat belts. He goes on to say “We know that people get lax. We also know that since we started this, there are still injury collisions where people don’t buckle up. So there’s still work to be done.”

Recently, many states have been cracking down on seat belt laws, with the catchy slogan “Click it or ticket.” Like that campaign, Brown says that he hopes the “Get Your Clicks on Route 66” program will save lives. “We know that it’s the very best way to ensure public safety. Not just throughout Oklahoma, but the other states that are involved,” he said.

This weekend, however, all of the officers will shift their focus to DUI enforcement. Super Bowl Sunday is a well-known night of increased drunk driving, since so many people are out partying with friends. Troopers anticipate seeing a larger-than-normal number of DUI arrests.

Brown expands on this, saying “We have seen alcohol related crashes as half time – people going on beer runs at half-time or between quarters. So people need to be aware that we know what’s going on and we’re going to be out there. We are going to be looking for things that people do to make it unsafe for everyone else.”

If you plan to drink on Sunday, troopers are saying to make sure you get a cab or have a designated driver. If you suspect someone is driving drunk, do not hesitate to contact local law enforcement authorities.