Consumer Insurance Blog

On average, about 98.7 million fans tune into watch the game on Super Bowl Sunday. If you're going to be hosting or attending a Super Bowl party this weekend when the New Orleans Saints take on the Indianapolis Colts, you should plan in advance for your safety and that of your guests.

The Insurance Information Institute (III) suggests that designating a driver should be at the top of everyone’s super bowl party list. They note that:

"According to the most recent figures from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2008, alcohol-impaired-driving crashes accounted for 32 percent of total motor vehicle traffic fatalities. On Super Bowl Sunday (February 3 to 5:59 a.m. February 4), 49 percent of the fatalities occurred in crashes in which a driver or motorcycle rider had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level of .08 or higher. Overall, more than 13,000 Americans died that year in crashes involving an impaired driver."

Whether you plan to be a party host or a party attendee, III offers a list of tips and suggestions to help you stay safe. Plus, party hosts have a particular imperative to protect guests. It's the right thing to do - plus, it may protect you from liability.

Here are some additional tips from the Natioanl Highway Transportation and Safety Administration's Fans don't let fans drive drunk program.

Tips for party hosts
If you are hosting a Super Bowl party, remember, you can be held liable and prosecuted if someone you served ends up in an impaired driving crash. To protect both yourself and your guests:

• Make sure all guests designate their sober drivers in advance, or help arrange ride-sharing with other sober drivers.
• Serve lots of food—and include lots of non-alcoholic beverages at the party.
• Stop serving alcohol at the end of the third quarter of the game and begin serving coffee and dessert.
• Keep the numbers for local cab companies handy, and take the keys away from anyone who is thinking of driving while impaired.

• Avoid drinking too much alcohol too fast. Pace yourself—eat enough food, take breaks and alternate with non-alcoholic drinks.
• Designate your sober driver before the party begins and give that person your car keys.
• If you don’t have a designated driver, ask a sober friend for a ride home; call a cab, friend or family member to come get you; or stay where you are and sleep it off until you are sober.
• Research and use a local Sober Rides program.
• Never let a friend leave your sight if you think they are about to drive while impaired.
• Always buckle up—it’s still your best defense against other impaired drivers.

Additional resources
Drunk Driving Laws by State

If you are one of the more than 8 million households fortunate enough to have a private swimming pool on your property, responsibility for safety comes with the privilege. Each year, 280 children under 5 years old drown every year in swimming pools across the country. For children aged one to fourteen, drowning is the second-most common cause of accidental death. Even if you don't have children, be aware that about a third of all child pool deaths happen at pools where the owners have no children.

The Pool Safety Council offers these tips to keep kids safe:

• Nothing is more important to the safety of a swimming child than the eyes of attentive parents.
• Keep a landline phone near the pool, so that if there is an emergency you can call 911 and the operator will be able to instantly trace the call and send help.
• Surround your pool with four-sided fencing and a gate that locks.
• Never leave children unattended in or near the pool. Drowning takes only a few seconds.
• Even when there is a group of adults present, make sure one is dedicated to keeping an eye on any children in or near the pool. Giving one person that responsibility makes it far more likely potential problems are noticed right away.
• Make sure your pool is outfitted with approved safety drain covers and an anti-entrapment device to prevent drain entrapment, the often deadly tragedy of a swimmer becoming trapped by a pool drain's suction. Public pools are required to adopt anti-entrapment measures by law, but PSC encourages private pool owners to follow suit.
• Take a CPR class to ensure potential drowning victims do not have to wait for paramedics to arrive.
• When not in use, keep hot tubs covered and locked.

This is the first summer that the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act will be in place since the law's enactment in December. This law is designed to prevent the tragic and hidden hazard of drain entrapments and eviscerations in pools and spas. Between 1999 and 2008, there were 83 child entrapment incidents reported to the CPSC, including eleven fatality reports, one of them being the one that took 7-year old Virginia Graeme Baker's life in 2002. Under the law, all public pools and spas must comply with federal standards, which is great - but bear in mind that the accident that took Virginia's life happened at a private home. If you are a private pool owner, you may want to voluntarily comply with these standards, too - this news article provides compelling evidence for why.

Additional resources
Pool - spa safety and drowning prevention
Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act
National Drowning Prevention Alliance

Check your insurance coverage
In addition to talking every possible safety measure, pool owners also need to ensure that they are adequately covered against any potential risks. If you have a pool or hot tub or are considering adding one or the other, be sure you talk to your agent to ensure that you have appropriate coverage. Here's some advice from the Insurance Information Institute about swimming pool coverage:

Let your insurance company know that you have a ool, since it will increase your liability risk. Pools are considered an “attractive nuisance” and it may be advisable to purchase additional liability insurance. Most homeowners policies include a minimum of $100,000 worth of liability protection. Pool owners, however, may want to consider increasing the amount to $300,000 or $500,000.

You may also want to talk to your agent or company representative about purchasing an umbrella liability policy. For an additional premium of about $200 to $300 a year, you can get $1 million of liability protection over and above what you have on your home. This would also provide added liability protection when you drive.

If the pool itself is expensive, you should also have enough insurance protection to replace it in the event it is destroyed by a storm or other disaster.