New Year’s Eve is fast approaching, and many will be hosting guests for parties on Sunday night. With drunk driving being one of the most prevalent threats each and every year, Jim Pollard, public affairs officer for AMR, has given a list of tips and suggestions for party hosts to avoid DUIs and to ensure everyone gets home safely.
- Identify the designated driver in each group as they arrive and make sure that’s the person that drives home. – “remember that a DD isn’t the one who drinks the least, it’s the one who doesn’t drink at all.”
- Serve responsibly as the host. Put non-alcoholic drinks out with the alcohol and use similar size glasses. – “This helps to avoid peer-pressure.”
- Don’t aggressively push alcohol on your guests. – “There’s a big difference between ‘are you having anything to drink?’ and ‘you have to have another drink because everyone else is’”.
- Serve plenty of food to help soak up some of the alcohol. (Pollard says this does not sober you up to drive, but it helps to pace guests throughout the night)
- Serve “mock”tails as another option for guests to choose.
- Don’t serve guests under the age of 21
- If someone is there alone and has had too much to drink, try to match them up with a group that can give them a ride home. If they do not have a ride home, possibly let them stay over and sleep it off. – “Friends don’t let friends drive drunk.”
- Clear all walkways and driveways of any tripping hazards. “Walking under the influence can also cause a lot of injuries.”
With these tips and reminders to always wear your seatbelts, don’t drive after any amount of alcohol, and keep a close eye on friends who have been drinking, Pollard says they hope that everyone has a safe New Year’s Eve.
“We hope to have a New Year’s free of any deaths or serious injuries related to DUI,” Pollard said.
