New Year's Eve celebrations are just days away and with that comes a reminder to enjoy your holiday festivities responsibly. Remember it's never okay to drink and get behind the wheel. Always plan ahead to either designate a driver or find another safe ride home. Help your friends and family find safe rides home, too. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, there were 209 drunk-driving related deaths during the Christmas/New Year holiday periods in 2020. The agency's annual Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Campaign runs through January 1, 2023.
Tips for Responsible Party Planning
If you are hosting a New Year's Eve party this year, urge your friends and family to designate a sober driver any time they plan to consume alcohol and follow these tips to be a responsible party host:
- Encourage guests to designate a sober driver in advance. As an incentive, reward designated drivers with a small gift or door prize.
- Provide designated drivers who can escort guests home safely.
- Collect keys at the door and monitor guests throughout the evening.
- Provide plenty of food and non-alcoholic beverages for guests, including coffee and tea.
- Stop serving alcohol at least an hour before the party is scheduled to end.
- Don't serve alcohol to minors.
- Keep an eye out for anyone who appears to have had too much to drink and take the keys from anyone who has.
- Keep the phone number or app for local cab companies or ride-share services handy.
- Help arrange overnight accommodations including allowing guests to stay at your house.
You could be held responsible for serving alcohol to a guest who later is involved in an accident and imagine the guilt you’d feel if your guest got hurt or killed or did this to someone else.
It takes planning and coordination, but you can prevent drunk driving.
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