8:17 a.m., Jan. 14, 2010----The Delaware Office of Highway Safety has kicked off its 2010 Checkpoint Strikeforce campaign, which is designed to stop those who driver under the influence, in coordination with the National Football League playoffs, according to Cynthia Genau, community traffic safety program coordinator for University of Delaware Cooperative Extension.

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On Saturdays and Sundays in January when NFL playoff games are held, law enforcement agencies throughout the state will conduct saturation patrols. Additional patrols will be scheduled for Super Bowl Sunday along with a sobriety checkpoint to be conducted by the New Castle County DUI Task Force.

“If you plan on drinking alcohol while enjoying the playoffs, pass your keys to a sober, designated driver before you leave the house,” said Andrea Summers, community relations officer for the Office of Highway Safety. “Follow the rules or law enforcement will penalize you for driving impaired.”

If you are having friends over:

• Make sure all of your guests have a designated sober driver before kickoff;
• Serve plenty of high protein foods like meat and cheese, or sandwiches and avoid the chips;
• Provide non-alcoholic drink alternatives -- soft drinks, juice, and water; and
• Stop serving alcohol at the end of the third quarter of the game, just like in NFL stadiums.

If you are watching at a sports bar or restaurant:

• Designate your sober driver before you leave the house or volunteer to be one yourself;
• Or, before you go out, program the numbers for local cab companies in your cell phone so if you find yourself in need of a ride, it is just one touch away;
• Avoid drinking too much alcohol too fast. Pace yourself -- eat enough food, take breaks and alternate with non-alcoholic drinks; and
• Never let a friend leave your sight if you think they are about to drive while impaired.

Preliminary reports are that alcohol-related motor vehicle deaths declined by 12 percentage points in Delaware last year. Thirty-six of the 117 traffic deaths that occurred statewide in 2009 involved alcohol.

The NFL playoff mobilization is the first activity in the 2010 Checkpoint Strikeforce campaign. The highly successful safety initiative resulted in 472 DUI arrests last year.

For more information on impaired driving prevention visit the Checkpoint Strikeforce page at the Office of Highway Safety Web site.