8 Ways to Avoid Drinking and Driving this Holiday Season

How To Avoid Drinking and Driving

The holidays are here, and that means going to parties that are planned by friends and family, exchanging gifts and well wishes for the New Year, eating some great food and maybe indulging in a bit of alcohol.

Many people have some great recipes for drinks that they bring out specifically for the holidays.

If you will be attending one of these parties where alcohol will be served, you need to be prepared for a situation in which you cannot legally drive.

Even those who make the conscious decision to not drink should still have some sort of plan in place as you never know what could happen.

The Sobering Truth

Before you decide to go out this holiday season and plan have a few drinks, there are some facts that you need to know which will have you either staying sober or making plans for what to do if you do drink.

Check out these facts from MADD:

Every day there are around 4 Canadians killed in an alcohol or drug-related car crash
In 2014, car accidents claimed 2,297 lives
Of these 2.297 lives, around 55.4% of these deaths were due to a person testing positive for alcohol or drugs

What do these stats tell you? It should tell you that there is no reason to take a chance and drink and drive this holiday season.

Remember, it is not just your life that you are messing with, it could very well be the life of someone else who was simply coming home from work late.

How to Avoid Drinking and Driving this Holiday Season

So, how can you avoid drinking and driving this holiday season? Here are a few tips that can help you!

Simply don’t drink. For many people, turning a drink away is not a big deal. Those who do this don’t have to worry about drinking and driving since they are not going to be impaired by drinking at all. This is a 100% foolproof way to ensure that you are avoiding drinking and driving.

Have a plan! Never go to a holiday party with the idea that you will figure it out later. This can lead many people to drink and drive since they had no plan and cannot figure out a way to get back home. Always plan before arriving at the party!

Considering using one of the many services that are out there to give you a ride home.

For example:

Call a taxi, though if you are going to be out on Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve, getting a taxi may be harder than you think.

Operation Red Nose is run in several communities throughout Canada and they offer to have a sober driver drive you home in your vehicle at no charge as an effort to keep drunk drivers off the streets. It is a free service to use if it is offered wherever you are!

CAA members can utilize the Drive You Home program and get their vehicle towed up to 25 kilometers as part of their program to help drivers who can’t drive due to intoxication, medical treatment or even an illness. This can only be utilized once per year!

Consider free transit services as these are often run in the larger cities when it is considered a big party night like New Year’s Eve.

For those who host events that involve drinking be sure that you are taking responsibility. What does this mean? It could mean that you have overnight house guests if they have been drinking and did not make a plan to get home. In addition, remember to offer non-alcoholic drinks as those who have a choice may decide better of drinking.

Can’t find a taxi? Call an Uber! Many uber drivers will be out and about on these nights during the holidays as they know that there will be those who will need a ride. Make sure you have the Uber app on your phone and arrange for a time with a driver.

Consider renting a town car or a limo for those who are going out with a group of friends. This is a fairly popular decision when going out on New Year’s Eve with a bunch of friends. Those companies who offer these types of services will ensure that the driver will not be drinking and has a schedule of where you live and what locations you may be visiting while out for the night.

Have a designated driver! If you do decide to go somewhere in a group, you can designate one person to be the designated driver. This person will not touch a drop of alcohol and will be completely sober to drive.

Give up the keys when you go to a party and know that you are going to be drinking. Too many times, people get drunk and think that they are fine, then they get out on the roads. For those who go to a party, the hostess should ask you to drop your keys in a jar, and only the designated driver can have access to them.

What Happens if You Do Drink and Drive?

For those who do not heed the advice of the government and others around them and still get behind the wheel after they have been drinking, they are potentially taking their lives and the lives of those around them in danger.

Could you live with yourself if you were to get in an accident and kill another driver? Not only the loss of lives but also consider the penalties for drinking and driving.

For those who are under the age of 21, if they are caught drinking and driving, they could face losing their license for 30 days along with a fine that could be anywhere from $60 to $500 depending on their blood alcohol level and if they have been caught doing this before.

For other drivers over the age of 21, they could face other penalties such as:

Losing their license for 3 days and a $180 fine for the first offense
Within 5 years if they have a second offense, they could face a 7-day license suspension, a $180 fine and have to participate in an educational program that focuses on drinking and driving and the pitfalls of this decision.
For those who are caught doing this for the third time within 5 years, they face the same type of fines including having to have a breathalyzer ignition interlock in their vehicle and be forced into a treatment program.
Jail time can result if a person were to be behind the wheel and end up causing an accident.

For those who have been the victim of a drunk driver, we are here to help you.

We have experience in dealing with these types of personal injury cases, and we can help you.

Call Conte Jaswal today for a free consultation about your case and see how we can help to get your life back on track.