PRINCETON, W.Va. (WVNS)– It is not uncommon for those of legal age to consume alcohol while watching the Big Game at either a bar or a friend’s house.

But drunk driving is becoming more common during the time of Big Game festivities. 

Dr. Steven Stefancic who works for WVU Emergency Medicine at WVU Medicine PCH said he has seen shocking numbers when researching crashes involving alcohol.

“Unfortunately, alcohol does play a role in traffic crashes. Specifically to Superbowl Sunday, we know that 46 percent of crashes involve alcohol which is up from any week surrounding that time of year,” Dr. Stefancic said.

Dr. Stefancic also said of those crashes, 74 percent of the fatalities involve alcohol.

He said it is all about being responsible and knowing when you had too much to drink. You can start by being aware of certain tell-tale signs.

“That can include slurred speech, that can include blurry vision, that can include having to catch onto things if you’re walking and getting unsteady of your gait also saying things you wouldn’t normally say is a telltale sign,” Dr. Stefancic said.

For everyone who has to get up in the morning and work the next day but can’t seem to shake off the headache, Dr. Stefancic said there is only one true way to prevent hangovers.

“The only way to truly prevent a hangover is not to drink. They’ve researched it, they’ve done a lot of research and they haven’t found the magic bullet,” Dr. Stefancic said.