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Governor Nathan Deal - Georgia’s 82nd Governor (2011-2019)

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Home » Press Releases » Deal tackles DUIs with Super Bowl Sunday ad

Deal tackles DUIs with Super Bowl Sunday ad

January 31, 2012

Governor urges fans to play it safe and download Drive Sober smartphone app

Gov. Nathan Deal is appealing to Super Bowl partygoers across Georgia to make sure they have a sober driver this Sunday. To get his message across, Deal will be appearing in a 60-second commercial that will air free-of-charge on NBC affiliate stations throughout Georgia on Super Bowl Sunday.

“No one wants to stop you from enjoying the game,” Deal says in the PSA that will air on Sunday. “However, having too much to drink and getting on the road endangers not only your life, but the lives of others. One out of every three automobile fatalities can be attributed to alcohol.”

To help Georgia motorists who want to imbibe on the big day, Deal is urging football fans to download the Drive Sober Georgia app, released by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) in December, on their smartphones.

“Make a plan right now, before the game,” Deal says in the PSA. “If you have a smartphone, there’s an app called Drive Sober Georgia. If you download it on your iPhone or Android, you can reach organizations all over the state that are offering safe rides home tonight.”

The broadcast of this potentially lifesaving PSA would not be possible without the generous commitment from Georgia’s NBC stations. “We are delighted to join Governor Deal and the Office of Highway Safety in sharing the message of safe, sober driving on Super Bowl Sunday,” said Jim Wilcox, Vice President and General Manager of WALB-TV, the NBC affiliate in Albany. “We want our viewers to enjoy the game and that includes getting home safely.”

Based on web traffic to the www.drivesobergeorgia.com website and download numbers from the Android market, GOHS estimates the sober ride application has already been downloaded up to 5,000 times. Similar data indicates comparable download numbers on the Apple marketplace.

“We are grateful that Governor Deal is taking time out of his busy schedule to make this appeal during the Super Bowl, the most important day for all NFL fans,” said GOHS Director Harris Blackwood. “More than anything, we want football fans to be prepared to have a sober ride home if they plan to drink. Drunk driving is a preventable crime and we hope this smartphone app will help drive down Georgia’s DUI numbers.”

To view the commercial, click here. For more information on the Drive Sober Georgia app, visit www.drivesobergeorgia.com and for more information on the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, visit www.gahighwaysafety.org.