If you plan on going out for the night to have a few drinks at the bar, you could potentially put yourself in a dangerous situation, as drinking and driving can quickly lead to a serious accident. These tips will help to keep you safe and clear of all such incidents.
First, plan out your ride home well in advance. If you have a safe way to go home — like a sober person you can count on to pick you up — you won’t find yourself out of options, feeling like you have to drive, later in the night.
You also want to monitor what people around you are doing. Even if someone says he or she is fine to drive, if you know that he or she has been drinking, you want to stay out of that vehicle. When you do see someone driving while drunk, make sure to contact the authorities right away.
If you are planning the outing, it may be a good idea to talk to everyone about their plans before they arrive. This can remind them to find sober drivers, or it gives one of them a chance to volunteer to be a designated driver. It is also good to have the number of the local taxi service, or to have an app on your phone that allows you to set up a cab ride quickly, so that you can find drivers for those who need them.
Of course, though these tips can help you, you could still be involved in a drunk driving accident involving another driver who has been drinking. If this has happened to you in Virginia, be sure that you know what legal rights you have.
Source: madd.org, “Tips to Ring in the New Year Safely” Dec. 30, 2014