Football-shaped Fan Van completes statewide tour with stop in San Antonio, Feb. 1  

AUSTIN - As football fans get ready to watch the Super Bowl with family and friends, the Texas Department of Transportation is urging them to plan for a sober ride while attending game-viewing events.  

"Football fans are preparing menus, shopping for food and drinks, and inviting others to watch the biggest game of the year together," said James Bass, TxDOT interim executive director. "Just as we've said all season - whether fans are cheering at a game, a friend's house, a restaurant, a bar or a tailgate event - it's important to plan a sober ride before kickoff." 

On the day of last year's Super Bowl (Feb. 3, 2013), there were 112 DUI-alcohol traffic crashes in Texas, resulting in 39 serious injuries and four fatalities over a 24-hour period. Compared with the 2012 Super Bowl, those crashes represented a 12-percent increase in DUI-alcohol crashes in Texas. 

Pledge to Drive Sober

Texans who pledge to drive sober still have the chance to win a donated Man Cave or one of four $500 Best Buy gift cards. The Man Cave grand prize consists of a 60-inch, flat-screen TV and home theater system, a massage chair, basketball hoop, dart board, putting mat, folding poker table and a small vending machine-style cooler -- all donated for this campaign. Specific contest details can be found at TexasGamePlan.com. 

Fan Van Visits San Antonio

Throughout football season, TxDOT's Fan Van visited both pro and college games - as well as other locations, including grocery stores - to remind fans about the importance of planning for a sober ride. Designed to look like a giant football, the Fan Van reminds grocery shoppers who are stocking up for the game to include a life-saving sober ride into their weekend plans. The Fan Van will visit the San Antonio H-E-B at 400 Valley Hi Drive, from noon to 4 p.m. on Feb. 1. 

As always, TxDOT urges people who have been drinking to take a taxi, use public transit or designate a sober driver - someone who has not been drinking. TxDOT's www.SoberRides.org, which is also mobile-friendly, provides several options for getting home safely by letting users enter their current location and an end destination.  

Texas Department of Transportation

The Texas Department of Transportation is responsible for maintaining 80,000 miles of road and for supporting aviation, rail, and public transportation across the state. TxDOT and its 11,000 employees are committed to working with others to provide safe and reliable transportation solutions for Texas by maintaining a safe system, addressing congestion, connecting Texas communities, and being a Best in Class state agency. Find out more at www.txdot.gov . "Like" us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/txdot ; and follow us on Twitter, www.twitter.com/txdot.