How to help prevent drunk driving on game day
The end of a Dodgers game at Dodger Stadium and the final whistle at a Rams game at SoFi Stadium create the same familiar rush: tens of thousands of people heading toward parking lots, ramps, transit stops, and neighborhood streets. The scene repeats in baseball and football cities across the country, from Philadelphia to Kansas City to Seattle. It is also a moment when a plan made before the first pitch or kickoff can matter far more than a last-minute decision in a crowded lot.
In 2024, 11,904 people died in U.S. crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). That represented about 30% of all traffic deaths that year. The agency counts a driver as alcohol-impaired at a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 grams per deciliter or higher, the legal limit in every state except Utah, where it is .05.
The numbers do not isolate ballpark or stadium traffic, so they cannot show that games themselves result in a particular number of impaired-driving crashes. But as The Capital Law Firm, a Los Angeles personal injury law firm, explains here, they describe why game-day travel deserves attention. Post-game crowds often combine alcohol, late finishes, unfamiliar pickup zones, and many people leaving at the same time. NHTSA also notes that alcohol can affect driving ability even before a person reaches the .08 legal threshold. In 2024, 2,028 people were killed in crashes involving drivers with BACs from .01 to .07.
A Game-Day Plan Is Most Effective Before Alcohol Is Involved
NHTSA advises choosing a designated driver or scheduling a ride before drinking starts. In practice, that can also mean arranging a pickup point away from the heaviest vehicle traffic or deciding that the group will use transit both ways.
The practical issue is not only whether someone expects to drink heavily. A long game, an extra inning, a tailgate, a celebratory round after a win, or a delayed departure can all change the plan made at noon. Designating one person to stay alcohol-free removes the need to gauge impairment at the end of the night. For groups using rideshares, agreeing on the pickup area before entering the venue can also avoid the scramble that occurs when phone batteries are low and streets are congested.
Alcohol is not the only concern in a postgame crowd. Sober drivers can still be distracted by navigation, group text messages, or the need to locate a passenger. Pedestrians often cross around garages and transit stops. Leaving a little later, when permitted and safe, may be more useful than joining the first wave of departing cars.
Los Angeles Offers Transit Alternatives for Both Major Venues
In Los Angeles, for example, game days can involve long distances and complicated traffic, but the region has transportation options designed around its two largest recurring sports destinations. Dodgers ticket holders can ride the free Dodger Express from Union Station and the South Bay. Buses from both locations start about two and a half hours before first pitch, and return service ends 45 minutes after the final out, according to the club.
For Rams and Chargers games, LA Metro operates the free SoFi Stadium Express from the LAX/Metro Transit Center, connecting the stadium with the C and K Lines and local buses. Metro says the express begins three hours before kickoff, and return service starts in the fourth quarter and runs for 90 minutes after the game. Schedules can change, especially for postseason games and special events, so riders should confirm service on game day.
Those options do not work for every trip. Fans traveling from places without a practical rail or bus connection may need a sober driver, a taxi, or a rideshare instead.
No matter what market you are in, return transportation deserves the same planning as the trip to the game. Teams, transit agencies, and venues in cities such as Chicago, Denver, Boston, and San Francisco publish event-day guidance that can help groups identify entrances, service times, and designated pickup areas before they leave home.
Food, Coffee, and a Short Wait Are Not Workarounds
Several common game-day assumptions can create false confidence. Eating food may slow alcohol absorption, but it does not eliminate impairment. Coffee can make someone feel more awake, but it does not reduce alcohol’s effects on the body, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A short wait in a parking lot may not help much either, because alcohol stays in the bloodstream until the liver metabolizes it, according to NHTSA.
People often make decisions based on how they feel rather than on the amount and timing of alcohol consumed. NHTSA’s Buzzed Driving campaign puts it plainly: Anyone who has to do something to make themselves okay to drive is not okay to drive.
The consequences reach beyond the driver. Passengers, people in other vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists share the roads around a stadium. The Capital Law Firm, a Los Angeles personal injury law firm, says the people hurt in impaired-driving crashes after large events often include sober drivers, passengers, and fans walking to transit who had nothing to drink.
Hosts Have Considerations, Too
The person who brings the group together can reduce uncertainty without policing everyone else's night. A short message before the game can confirm who is driving, where the rideshare will meet the group, and what happens if the original driver drinks. For a watch party, NHTSA recommends offering nonalcoholic drinks and making sure guests leave with a sober driver. Food and a place to stay for anyone who cannot safely leave can help, too.
That approach is especially useful when a gathering includes people new to the area, attending their first game at a venue, or taking different routes home. Clear plans make it easier for someone to choose a safer option without negotiating in public at the end of the event.
The best game-day safety plans are unremarkable by design. They do not depend on a close game, a changed schedule, or a person's confidence after a few drinks. Whether the crowd is leaving a Dodgers home game, a Rams matchup, or a local sports bar after a road win, the key decision has already been made: no one who has been drinking drives home.
This story was produced by The Capital Law Firm and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
