Super Bowl Sunday brings a rash of drunken car crashes. But it’s not the worst day.

Feb. 02--Super Bowl Sunday is definitely one of the big party days of the year. But is it the worst day for drunk driving crashes in California?

A noted California study shows it's a bad one, but likely not the worst. That honor goes to New Years' Eve, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California in the mid 2000s.

The nine-year study of major holidays and special-occasion days found drunk-driving related injury crashes were 41 percent higher on Super Bowl Sunday than other Sunday nights in January or February. New Year's Eve scored an even higher 44 percent crash spike. Christmas ranked third.

"Night-time drinking and driving on Super Bowl Sunday, while not quite the highest of the year, is an even more predictable phenomenon (than other special occasion days) year in and year out," wrote Steven Bloch, then a senior research associate for the Auto Club.

An Auto Club follow-up review in 2015 showed a higher spike -- 77 percent -- during five recent Super Bowl Sundays. That update did not analyze other holidays.

Taking into consideration all fatal crashes, including non-alcohol, July 4 is the worst, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. That study looks at specific dates and doesn't include the Super Bowl, which changes dates each year.

State Office of Traffic Safety officials said their review of federal data indicates the alcohol-involved fatalities spike on Super Bowl Sunday is similar to the spikes that typically occur on Friday and Saturday nights.

Sacramento city police plan a DUI checkpoint this weekend on Saturday night. In doing so, police say they hope to send a message that will resonate through the weekend. They will publicize the location once they determine where to put it.

"It's a prevention technique," Sgt. Bryce Heinlein said. "It puts it in front of people's minds that we take this seriously. We may do one on Sunday too."

Sacramento police will introduce what they call "saturation patrols" Sunday night. That involves putting the department's traffic team on duty, alongside patrol officers, to focus on DUI. Police traffic team members are trained to detect drugged driving as well as drunk driving -- now more important with legalization of marijuana.

In contrast, the California Highway Patrol Sacramento Valley Division spokesman Rafael Cervantez said the state agency does not typically put extra units on the roads on Super Bowl Sunday around California.

Traffic is typically benign during the day Sunday, especially during the game. Sunday's game starts at 3:30 p.m. and likely will last three and one-half to four hours. Cervantez said that is when traffic ticks up. CHP officers on duty in the Sacramento area have orders to focus on drunk driving.

Last year, the CHP made 360 drunk driving arrests statewide on Super Bowl Sunday. CHP data show that was the second highest number of DUI arrests for any day of the year, behind 374 on the Sunday during Labor Day weekend when the CHP launched a weekend long drunk driving crackdown.

Cervantez said he personally has arrested many people for drunk driving on Super Bowl Sunday just blocks from their homes.

If you are trying to decide whether you are capable of driving home after the game, Cervantez said, "remember, buzzed driving is drunk driving."

State safety officials are pushing for people out at parties and bars to designate a sober driver for the ride home, or to call a taxi or ridershare service.

The state Office of Traffic Safety has a Designated Driver VIP, or "DDVIP," free mobile app for Android or iPhone. The DDVIP app helps find nearby bars and restaurants that feature free incentives for the designated sober driver, from free non-alcoholic drinks to free appetizers and more.

Tony Bizjak: 916-321-1059, @TonyBizjak

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