By David Eck
Enquirer contributor

As Super Bowl parties wind down Sunday, police throughout Greater Cincinnati will be gearing up.

Several police departments are increasing patrols aimed at finding and nabbing drunken drivers and other traffic violators.

"We want the public to be aware that we (are) increasing our patrols and our police officers to look for traffic-oriented issues, including (drunken drivers)," said Sharonville Police Sgt. Keith Schoonover. "We want people to have a good time ... but use common sense and safety, too."

A big party day, Super Bowl Sunday typically means a spike in fatal alcohol-related crashes across the nation, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

On Super Bowl Sunday in 2002, 77 people died in alcohol-related crashes in the United States, representing 59 percent of all traffic-crash deaths that day, compared with 41 percent for the rest of the year, the agency said.

A University of Toronto study published in the New England Journal of Medicine last January found a 41 percent increase in the average number of driving fatalities after the Super Bowl telecast. Similar numbers for Ohio were not available Thursday, but Ohio State Highway Patrol officials say the day is not a particular problem statewide.

"The bottom line behind Super Bowl Sunday for us is, it depends on the area," said Lt. Rick Fambro, spokesman for the Ohio State Highway Patrol. "Some posts may have that as a target date. That's up to the individual post commander."

Cincinnati police will join the Hamilton County DUI Task Force to increase patrols to arrest or ticket traffic violators, said Cincinnati Lt. Robert Hungler.

In Warren County, state, county and Franklin police will team to increase patrols in Franklin and Franklin Township.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol's Hamilton post will also beef up patrols during the weekend.

E-mail daveck@fuse.net