Driving Safety Tips for New Year’s Eve: From a CA Injury Lawyer

New Year’s Eve is the night on which you look back at the recent past, make resolutions for the future, and celebrate everything good in the present. Unfortunately, it also is one of the most popular nights for drinking and driving—and one of the worst nights for car accidents, car accident injuries, and car accident fatalities.

What can you do to maximize your fun on New Year’s Eve without compromising your safety?

• Have a plan in place before you begin celebrating. Don’t wait until halfway through the party to strategize how to get home. Establish a designated driver, use public transportation, stay over at a friend’s house, or put the number of a taxi service in your phone before you head out for the night. It’s easier to avoid drinking and driving if you already have a solid alternative.
• Don’t give yourself an opportunity to drink and drive. Why do people drink and drive even when they know it’s wrong? Because a drunk person has a compromised ability to make good decisions and think rationally. If you plan on over-indulging—or even if you think you might have one more drink than usual—don’t even give yourself the option of driving. Leave your car at home, or give your keys to your host. If you get drunk, you may be too intoxicated to make the right choice.
• Remember there are intoxicated drivers on the road. Just because you are sober doesn’t mean you are safe on the roads on New Year’s Eve. You can bet that after midnight, a significant number of drivers have alcohol and/or drugs in their systems, and that some are over the legal limit. Consider staying off the roads altogether that night, either by staying with a friend or using an alternative method of transportation.

Have you been injured in a car accident which involved a drunk driver? You may wish to speak with an attorney. To learn more about your case and your best legal strategies moving forward, consider a free case evaluation with Russell & Lazarus. Call a CA injury lawyer today at 885-851-2400.