As we enjoy watching the Super Bowl this Sunday, with food and beverages, MADD wants to remind us to celebrate responsibly and “Take a minute. Make a Plan.”

MADD’s National Ambassador is Tamy Duffy. In 2017, Duffy’s daughter, Kaitlyn, was tragically killed by a drunk and drugged furniture truck driver while driving home from an afternoon at the beach with her friends.

“My daughter Kaitlyn was just 18 when she was killed by an impaired driver. Every single day, I think about how many other families will also go through this kind of heartache. We can end this loss, but it starts with each of us making the choice to put safety first.”

In a collective effort to fight impaired driving, MADD, Diageo, the NFL, and Uber have joined forces with the “Take a Minute. Plan.” campaign, which was launched during Impaired Driving Prevention Month, and runs through the Super Bowl.

The campaign encourages football fans to take just one minute to plan a safe ride home before celebrating—a simple act that can save lives.

“Impaired driving deaths are up by 33% since 2019,” Duffy said. “Every 39 minutes, someone loses their life because of it. These aren’t just numbers; these are real people. My 18-year-old daughter Kaitlyn was one of them, and I know how devastating that loss is. It’s time for us to make a change before anyone else has to go through what we have.”

According to statistics provided by MADD, in the time it takes to watch a single football game, 4 to 5 lives are lost to this entirely preventable crisis.

“For every Super Bowl or game-day celebration, the choice to plan ahead can save lives,” Duffy said. “When you’re planning your snacks, your team gear, and your game-day rituals, just take one minute to think about how you’re getting home. That one minute could make all the difference.   Football fans already spend 690 minutes a week thinking about the game. If we all dedicate just one more minute to thinking about getting home safely, we can stop impaired driving before it even starts.   Whether you’re watching at home or tailgating at the stadium, it’s our shared responsibility to ensure everyone gets home safely.”

According to the latest data from NHTSA, 45% of all fatal crashes on Super Bowl Sunday in 2022 involved alcohol.

The “Take a Minute. Plan.” campaign offers practical tools to help fans make responsible decisions, including NFL game-day integrations. The campaign’s creative spots depict different settings where football fans prepare for game day — from rituals like face painting and selecting the right jersey, to gathering the essentials for an ideal tailgate — inspiring viewers to reflect on how taking just one minute to plan can make a vital difference to ensuring a safe ride.

I have seen some of these commercials and will admit they do make an impact. I won’t have to worry about anyone leaving my house impaired, but maybe you and your friends need to hear this message. Let’s all enjoy the game this Sunday and live to complain about the referees, the next day.

For more information, go to takeaminutenow.com.

SUPER BOWL

So, I was 50% correct when I predicted the Buffalo Bills would face the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl. Obviously, I was counting on my favorite team, the Bills, to beat Kansas City, in the playoffs for the first time in decades.

It didn’t happen.

Now that the Bills are out, of course I’m going to be cheering for my cousin Nick Sirianni’s team, the Eagles. Philadelphia played Kansas City in the Super Bowl two years ago and lost. I would certainly like to see Sirianni, and his family, have an opportunity to celebrate a Super Bowl Championship. After all, the Chiefs have had more than their share.

TULSA BEACON RADIO

Tune in to the “Tulsa Beacon Weekend” radio show every week, featuring interviews with local and national level guests, talking about everything from politics to family issues. My guest this week will be local political pundit, Chris Medlock. The show airs on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. CST on 970am KCFO.]