New Year’s Eve is a time of drinking and celebrating. There are plenty of NYE parties in Newport and throughout Northern Kentucky and the tri-state area. Many people travel to Cincinnati, which WalletHub named one of the top 10 cities for New Year’s Eve festivities.
By now, it should go without saying that you should not get behind the wheel if you’ve had too much to drink. We will say it anyway: Please do not drink and drive. Your safety, your passengers’ safety and the safety of everyone else on the road depends on it.
You know about getting a designated driver, leaving the car at home and so on. Now that we’ve got the most obvious tips for staying safe on the road on New Year’s Eve out of the way, here are some you might have overlooked:
Charge your phone before leaving the house. Getting an Uber or Lyft is tough with a dead phone. Phone chargers get lost and you may not even be someplace where it’s convenient to charge your phone, so it’s better to leave your house at 100%. And make sure you have your preferred rideshare app downloaded and updated with your current address, payment info, etc.
Reward your designated driver. Being sober and hauling a bunch of intoxicated friends from party to party can be a lot of fun, and also kind of grueling. Even if your DD isn’t a drinker, they are still making a sacrifice to keep you safe, up to and including cleaning up after the mess left behind in the car. Yes, buy your DD’s nonalcoholic drinks. Yes, buy your DD’s dinner. Yes, pay for your DD to get their car washed the next day. If your DD feels appreciated, they’ll be more likely to be a DD again in the future.
Pack an overnight bag. Crashing on a couch is far better than crashing in a car. Having the essentials you might need for staying overnight at a friend’s house will make it easier to avoid the temptation of trying to drive home when you know you shouldn’t.
Report drunk drivers. If you’re on your way back and forth and you spot what you believe to be a drunk driver, report it. Call 911. Tell them the exact location, license plate number and other information. This is a tough choice, but you could save that driver’s life, not to mention the lives of the innocent people that driver might hit while driving intoxicated.
Hosting an NYE party? Think about what you can do to prevent your guests from making a bad decision. Provide plenty of fun nonalcoholic beverages to make it easier for those who are planning on being sober. Unpack the sleeping bags, air mattresses, extra blankets and pillows so they are available for those who you do not want to send out until they sober up. Don’t be shy about taking guests’ keys.
Stay home. It’s warm. The food’s good. The lighting is much better for NYE selfies (and no annoying photobombers). Best yet, you get to choose the music.
