The holiday season is a time when families come together, friends get together, and employers throw a party for their employees. It is common for these types of functions to have a lot of alcohol available for celebrating. Whether you are attending these parties or hosting them, here are some tips you can use to help yourself and others drive responsibly.
Attending a Party
There are plenty of parties to attend, which provides plenty of opportunities to practice responsible driving habits. The best thing you can do is plan to get home safely after the party if you plan to drink at the party. If you arrange a ride ahead of time, you are more likely to follow through with it instead of debating your fitness for driving at the moment. This way, you can just enjoy your time at the party and know that you have a safe ride home.
If you are attending a party with a group, have a designated driver who will stay sober to drive everyone else home at the end. If you are the designated driver, take your job seriously and don’t drink any alcohol. Ask if there is alcohol in a drink before taking a sip. If your group is attending multiple parties together, take turns being the designated driver so that everyone can participate at some point.
If you are attending a party alone and plan to drive home, you still need to have a plan before going. Tell others that you trust about your plans to drive home and won’t be drinking during the party. Steer clear of friends who will pressure you into drinking. Don’t give into temptation or hang around the alcohol and always double check that you aren’t drinking a spiked punch.
Hosting a Party
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were an estimated 10,874 people who were killed in drunk driving crashes in 2017. As the host of a party, you have some responsibility to make sure that your guests don’t end up in these statistics. If you plan to serve alcohol at your party, consider the following suggestions.
- Provide a variety of drinks, including options that don’t contain alcohol
- Limit the number of alcoholic drinks available to each guest
- Provide a list of car service or rideshare numbers for guests who have been drinking
- Be proactive at noticing and intercepting anyone who is impaired and planning to drive
- Don’t drink at your own party so that you can offer rides home, if necessary
As the host of the party, you can do a lot to keep your guests safe. Provide a fun atmosphere and take steps to watch out for your guests. If it comes down to it, be prepared to take someone’s keys away if they try to get behind the wheel while drunk. You might just save their life and possibly others on the road too. Even if it makes them mad, one day they will thank you for caring enough to intervene.
Whether you are attending parties this holiday season or hosting a party, it is possible to have a good time while still driving responsibly. By following these tips, you can have an enjoyable time at your parties while also getting home safely.