A New Year’s Resolution That’s Easy to Keep: Don’t Drink and Drive

This weekend, many of you will celebrate the past year’s achievements and set new goals for the future. It’s likely that these celebrations will include alcohol, so please add this to your list of New Year’s resolutions: If you drink, you won’t drive.

Unlike exercising more or sticking to a diet, this is an easy promise to keep. All it takes is a little bit of planning. Here are a few tips to help you get started:

• Designate a driver who will stay sober and be responsible for getting everyone home safely.
• If you plan on driving home, moderate your drinking throughout the night and stop drinking 2-3 hours before you get on the road.
• Use public transportation or take a cab. If you live in Blair County, my firm sponsors the Take A Cab program that provides free cab rides home on New Year’s Eve.
• Drop your keys. If you know you’ll drink, leave your keys with someone so you aren’t tempted to drive later on in the night.
• Pack an overnight bag and stay at a friend or family member’s house. If you’re going to party hard or late into the evening, you won’t be alert and sober enough to drive until the morning.
• Even if you aren’t drinking and driving, it doesn’t mean there aren’t others on the road who are. Be mindful of all traffic and drive defensively so you can react quickly to potential dangers.
• Finally, you can sign my firm’s Pledge to Stay Safe & Sober. If you do, you’ll be entered to win a great prize (the winner will be selected on January 2nd).

Last year there were almost 1,000 car accidents in Pennsylvania over the New Year’s holiday, many of which involved alcohol. This year, do your part to make sure this number is much lower. Have a safe and happy New Year!