The number one New Year’s Eve safety tip is to NEVER drink and drive. Plan your ride ahead of time and decide whether you will designate a driver, take public transportation, or use a ridesharing service like Uber or Lyft. No matter what you do, always use the buddy system, and never get into a strange vehicle alone while you are intoxicated. Check to make sure your friends make it home safely and read our blog for relevant rideshare safety tips.
Host Safe Parties
If you host a party, make sure all your guests get home safely, too. You may want to hire a driver, have a friend or family member who can stay sober and drive people home, or call a local cab company or trusted rideshare services for loved ones who have had too much to drink.
Alternatively, you can make up your couch or guest bedroom to ensure guests have a safe place to sleep. Always be mindful about how much alcohol you are serving, do not serve alcohol to guests who are already drunk, and never serve alcohol to minors.
Having snacks and non-alcoholic drink options, providing guests with plenty of water, and putting the alcohol away an hour or 2 before the party ends can also help you keep your parties safe.
Avoid Fireworks and Firearms
Launching fireworks and participating in celebratory gunfire are popular traditions on New Year’s Eve, but they can be extremely dangerous. Remember that shooting handguns in the air is illegal and can lead to serious injuries or death – and be familiar with the local rules and regulations about fireworks in your area.
If you are not comfortable using fireworks, leave the NYE light show to the professionals. If you do use fireworks, make sure they are legal fireworks like sparklers, firecrackers, and Roman Candles and follow instructions carefully. Never use fireworks around children or pets and keep a bucket of water or firehose nearby in case of fires, burn injuries, and other accidents.
According to State Farm, the safest strategy is to avoid using fireworks and firearms altogether.
Look After Your Pets
New Year’s Eve is a loud and scary holiday for pets, who can experience fear and high anxiety during fireworks shows and parties. Keep your pet in a quiet room and consider playing relaxing music designed for cats and dogs. Be mindful that your pet might act out of character and bite someone or run away during the holiday. Do not introduce your pet to new people on New Year’s Eve, and if your cat or dog has shown extreme anxiety in the past, ask your vet about medications.
Consider Pandemic Safety
Although everyone is excited to celebrate 2022 after 2 years of pandemic restrictions, you should still keep COVID-19 safety in mind, especially because the Omicron variant is spreading rapidly worldwide.
Consider hosting a small party at home instead of going to a large event. Ask that guests be vaccinated and get tested before attending and have masks and sanitizer at the ready.
Celebrate outside if possible and do not attend a party if you are feeling under the weather.
Expect Accidents
Even if you follow every New Year’s Eve safety tip on the internet, accidents are bound to happen. After all, you cannot control whether someone else chooses to drink and drive.
If you get into a car accident on New Year’s Eve, or someone else’s negligence harms you in another way, you can always call the Law Offices of Charles R. Gueli for legal help. We are available 24/7, and Attorney Gueli has over 2 decades of legal experience he can apply to your case.
For personalized support at any time of the day or night, please call us at (516) 628-6402 or contact us online.