Super Bowl LI may be a sore spot among Green Bay Packers fans this season. Drinking is already a favorite activity associated with Packers fans and the Super Bowl, and it may be an even more sought after coping mechanism this year after the Atlanta Falcons defeated our hometown team 44-21 in the NFC Championship game.
While drinking and football go together like the Super Bowl and parties, drinking should not be accompanied by driving in your Super Bowl Sunday plans. In 2015, 45 people were killed in drinking and driving accidents on Super Bowl Sunday, which accounted for half of all traffic-related fatalities that day.
Cheesy solution to drinking and driving
Luckily, Frito-Lay and its nacho cheese chip brand Doritos hope to dissuade party-goers from drinking and driving on Super Bowl Sunday by offering a limited edition bag of chips that can detect alcohol on your breath. If someone who has consumed alcohol breathes on the bag, it will reveal a discount code for the ride-sharing service Uber, which has been available in the Sheboygan area for nearly one year.
Although the bag can't differentiate a person's blood alcohol content between one beer and intoxication, it could dissuade those who believe they have waited long enough after the party and are "good to drive." Charges of Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) in Wisconsin carry stiff penalties for first-time offenders.
Criminal penalties could include a fine of up to $300 plus surcharges and a revocation of driver's license for six to nine months. Drivers who test with a BAC of 0.15 or higher could also be required to equip their vehicle with an ignition interlock device for one year. More severe penalties for repeat offenders also took effect at the beginning of this year.
Counter an OWI offense with a criminal law defense
While we may wallow in the fact that the Packers were so close to the Super Bowl this year, an OWI charge can add to the misery of a late post-season loss. As the only fan-owned team in the NFL, Packers football is often more than just a game to us. Police officers, too, come ready to play in the enforcement of OWI laws, especially on popular party days like Super Bowl Sunday.
A day in court carries the weight of the Super Bowl for individuals charged with OWI. While the Packers 11th best defense wasn't enough to reach the Super Bowl this season, drivers in Wisconsin need to bring a law firm's number one defense to deal with an OWI offense.