St. Patrick's Day will be here soon. Known as one of the most popular drinking holidays, it is important to also be smart about how you get around. Here are some tips to make sure you have a safe, responsible night out on the town.
Choose a nondrinking designated driver or use a ride share service
Before heading out to enjoy some St. Patrick's Day festivities, consult with your friends to decide who will be the designated driver. This should be someone who is willing to forgo alcohol for the night in order to ensure a safe trip home for everyone.
If your designated driver fails in his or her commitment to remain sober or leaves early, you could call a cab or request a ride from a ride share company, like Lyft, Uber, or some other service. Though cabs and ride shares are more pricey than driving yourself home, they're a lot cheaper than the price of a DUI ticket or an impaired driving accident.
"It’s estimated that two-thirds of Americans will be impacted by drunk driving during their lifetimes. And unsurprisingly, many fatal crashes occur on nights and weekends when people are out celebrating. Drunk driving affects everyone who shares the road — but it doesn’t have to," states Uber.
Drink at home
A safe and inexpensive way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day is to stay home when you drink. When driving isn't even an option, your chances of driving under the influence drop to nil. Even sober driving can be hazardous on St. Patrick's Day since, unfortunately, not everyone is concerned with controlling how much they drink before they get behind the wheel. You can keep yourself and others safe if the closest you get to the road is seeing it out the front window of your home. Consider making a traditional Irish dinner and pair it with a Guinness or some Jameson.
Choose non-drinking activities
Perhaps the best way to ensure you aren't tempted to drive impaired on St. Patrick's Day is to celebrate it sans alcohol. Instead, you could try eating out at a restaurant serving up some traditional Irish food like corned beef and cabbage or try your hand at making it yourself.
You could also choose to make your St. Patrick's Day a family event, complete with dressing up in all the green clothes you can find, eating green food and playing games with the kids. Try creating some rainbow-themed crafts or set up a scavenger hunt that leads to a hidden chest of "golden" chocolate coins. Another bonus: these activities will likely be a lot more affordable than a night of drinking.
The statistics against drunk driving are sobering. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, approximately one-third of all traffic crash fatalities in the United States involve drunk drivers. In 2016 alone, 10,497 people died in these preventable crashes.
Ideally, all of these preventable accidents would never occur. Unfortunately, accidents can happen and victims need an attorney they can trust. The attorneys at Ed Bernstein & Associates have more than 40 years experience in personal injury law and understand its finer nuances. Visit edbernstein.com or call (702) 240-0000 to find out how to get started on the road to recovery
