According to a 2015 report by CBS News, 30 U.S. residents die a day in motor vehicle car accidents involving an alcohol-impaired driver. This stat comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is no secret that this number spikes exponentially during the holiday season, especially right around New Year’s. In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there is a spike in the number of drunk driving-related accidents in December. In 2013, the latest year for stats, 733 people died in crashes caused by drunk drivers in December. You can do your part this New Year’s Eve by keeping in mind a few key safety tips to prevent drunk driving accidents in Washington.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving shares a few tips via CBS News. For starters, if you plan on going out on New Year’s Eve, have a plan in place for getting home. If you know you will be drinking alcohol, designate a sober driver or schedule an Uber. If you cannot find a designated driver and if Ubers are all booked up, get the number of a local taxi service or research a convenient bus route.
If you are at a party in which people are drinking, make sure no intoxicated person gets behind the wheel. While remaining as non-confrontational as possible, try to get intoxicated persons’ keys. If necessary, contact the police. The tip can remain anonymous and you may just save a life, or a few, by doing so.
Protect yourself and refuse to get into the vehicle as a passenger with someone who has been drinking. If you are the designated driver, make sure that everyone buckles in safely and remains as quiet as possible while you drive.
Finally, if you plan to host a New Year’s Eve party, collect all the guests’ keys at the door. Provide plenty of food and non-alcoholic refreshments. Offer guests a place to stay if necessary.
The information in this post is for educational purposes only. It should not be construed as legal advice.