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New Year’s Eve is a time of celebration, reflection, and excitement for the year ahead. However, it also comes with risks, and it’s crucial to prioritize safety during the festivities. Here’s how to avoid common dangers and ensure your celebrations remain joyful and accident-free.
Driving drunk
One of the most common ways that people get into trouble during the New Years is by drinking and driving. Drunk driving can be a felony depending on the situation and is extremely dangerous.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, it is estimated that on any given day, 37 people are killed in a drunk driving accident, this number increases on any holiday, including New Year’s eve.
There are many different ways to avoid driving home drunk. Staying over after the party eliminates the danger of driving drunk, but if you would like to leave there are other things you can try.
Set up a designated driver, or someone in the group that will not drink, before the party.
If you are by yourself, there are tons of different programs to go through to get rides.
Montgomery county has their own program, ArriveSafe, headed by prosecutor Mat Heck. Heck has been heading the program for 15 years.
“We are offering a safe ride over the New Years holiday so that there's really no excuse for anyone, if alcohol is involved in your holiday celebration, to drive and drink,” Heck said.
The program allows people who are drunk to access a $20 voucher for Uber to use to get home.
Other rideshare companies and counties offer similar programs. Heck encourages partiers to reach out and see what their county offers. Additionally, AAA offers services in select areas.
Public transportation is another alternative. Some stay open for later hours during the holiday
Fireworks
Another danger during this holiday is the use of fireworks and explosive weapons. Many people ring in the new year in different ways. It is tradition to make as much noise as possible during the celebration, and that can be done in many ways.
Some use pots and pans, some just yell. Then there are some that celebrate using fireworks and guns.
The act of using fireworks to ring in the new year is not inherently all that dangerous. But when someone mixes alcohol and fireworks is when things can get deadly.
Fireworks are legal in Ohio on New Years Eve and New Years Day. It is illegal to use fireworks under the influence regardless of the holiday, however. Usage can lead to injury in most cases.
Alex Myers is an example of this, he is a survivor of a firework accident that took place two years ago.
“I was with a few of my buddy’s when we decided to light off some fireworks. Everyone somehow came to the conclusion that I was the least drunk so I could set them off. So I did,” Myers said.
Myers said that most of his story is told by second hand account as he actually does not remember most of the incident due to alcohol impairment.
“We took one of the fireworks we had left over from the 4th and decided to shoot them off,” Myers recounted.
“I lit the firework and I guess realized it was too close to the house. I didn’t want it to burn down so I picked it up and moved it. The next thing I remember is a shooting, burning pain in my hand.”
The fireworks went off in Myers’s hand. He ended up with second-degree burns and had to go to the hospital.
Myers is not the only individual that has been injured while lighting fireworks, as according to the American Safety Council, 15% of firework incidents are done while intoxicated.
Other crimes
There are a surprising amount of car break-ins around this time of year.
“People get drunk and end up doing stupid things,” ex–Columbus Officer Richard Greening said, “It never fails, there would be a ton of calls about break-ins.”
Greening recommends that people should park in well lit areas and not leave anything of value in their cars.
Another crime that happens often around this time of year is drugging and sexual assault. It is recommended that everyone is hypervigilant. If you see something, say something and always keep an eye out on your drinks.
It is not hard to stay safe this holiday season if we all take heed to our surroundings.
