This was the cheer for Cincinnati Bengals fans for the final pre-season game against the Colts on Friday, August 31^st. The Bengals joined the National Football League (NFL), Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management Coalition (TEAM), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Ohio Department of Public Safety to remind everyone to act responsibly by never driving drunk, always having a designated driver, and always buckling up – every trip, every time. And the spokespeople for these important messages were the Bengals fans themselves.

The TEAM Coalition – an alliance of professional and collegiate sports, entertainment facilities, concessionaries, stadium service providers, the beer industry, broadcasters, traffic safety experts and others – works to promote responsible drinking and positive fan behavior at all sports and entertainment facilities.

While all the Bengals fans enjoyed the action on the field, more than 70 groups of responsible fans who pledged to stay sober, get their friends and family home safely, and always buckle up - every trip, every time had the chance to be the star in front of the camera and film their own message about responsible behavior. The filming took place in the Jungle Zone outside the stadium. PSAs produced from the filming will air throughout the season in the stadium. And the video clips will be emailed to each participant so their moment of fame can be shared. Fans can vote for their favorite videos from the Bengals website. The video that earns the most votes will be aired on the stadium TVs during the season.

This event is an integral element of the ‘Responsibility Has Its Rewards’ (RHIR) campaign. 2007 marks the fifth season that TEAM Coalition has coordinated this league-wide campaign with the NFL in support of existing designated driver programs sponsored by concessionaires and brewers.

"Giving fans the opportunity to be the voice of the Responsibility Has Its Rewards campaign personalizes the ‘Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk’ message. The Bengals and the Ohio Department of Public Safety are demonstrating that everyone – including the fans – plays an important role in alcohol management. Teamwork is exactly what this campaign is all about," said Jill Pepper, Executive Director of the TEAM Coalition.

NFL’s Season-long Commitment to Community & Traffic Safety
The Responsibility Has Its Rewards campaign encourages fans to participate in designated driver programs sponsored by beer and concessionaire companies at every NFL stadium nationwide, including the Bengals. Fans who pledge to be designated drivers at NFL games are eligible to enter a drawing to be selected as the team’s designated driver for the season. During the 2006/07 NFL season, more than 100,000 football fans pledged to be designated drivers. For 2007, TEAM projects that number will continue to increase as more fans plan ahead and make the responsible, winning play.

The selected designated drivers for each of the two teams competing in the Super Bowl are rewarded with a 5 day, 4 night trip to the Super Bowl including roundtrip airfare, hotel accommodations, and 2 tickets to the game. In addition, one designated driver from an NFL team that does not play in the Super Bowl will be chosen at random to attend the NFL Pro Bowl in Honolulu, Hawaii.

"The Ohio Department of Public Safety wants everyone to have a safe and enjoyable season," said ODPS Director Henry Guzmán. "Whether you will be traveling long distances or staying close to home, everyone can do their part by buckling up, not driving impaired and paying attention to the road."

148 million Americans already know how to put an end to these needless tragedies. According to the 2005 Designated Driver poll completed by Data Development Corporation, 70% of the adult population have been a designated driver or have been driven home by one.

US DOT / NHTSA 2005 NATIONAL DATA:

• In 2005, 14,539 people were killed as a result of alcohol-related (BAC > 0.08) car crashes
• Many, if not most of those lives would have been saved if people did not drive when they were impaired by alcohol or if they used sober, designated drivers or if they simply wore their seat belts.
• Statistics and research clearly show that 21-34 year old males are the demographic most likely to be involved in an automobile crash, drive when impaired by alcohol, and fail to buckle up.