Every year, there’s an uptick in the number of drunk drivers out there on the road during the holiday season.
From “Drunksgiving,” (the day before Thanksgiving) until New Year’s Day, there always seems to be an excuse to make merry — and many people do that with beer, wine and other spirits.
How can you help keep inebriated drivers off the road?
This holiday season, try a few of these tips for a proactive approach to eliminating drunk drivers from the road:
- Make it okay to drink at home. If you have college students or young adults returning to the parental nest for a visit, make it clear that you’d rather they drink at home — not the local bar. People between 21 and 34 years of age are responsible for more than 50% of all drunk driving accidents.
- Be the designated driver or offer a ready ride. If you’re going out in a group, offer to be the designated driver for the night so that everybody gets home safely. If you’re a homebody, tell your loved ones that you’re only a phone call away — day or night — and you’ll happily give them a ride if they’ve been drinking.
- Pass out gift cards to Uber, Lyft or your local cab service. There’s nothing wrong with tucking a gift card in someone’s pocket and telling them to use it when they’ve been drinking. Promise that you’ll take them to pick up their car the next day.
- Make some ground rules for your guests. If you’re playing host for the holidays, make sure that your guests know they either need to quit drinking hours before they intend to leave or spend the night.
Despite your best efforts, you or your loved ones may still end up in a wreck with a drunk driver. If that happens, find out what it takes to get fair compensation for your injuries and losses.
