For many, the New Year is an opportunity for a new beginning and a chance to excel and challenge themselves. While you celebrate these new possibilities, make sure you’re staying safe while bringing in the New Year.  The combination of busy roads, alcohol consumption and fireworks make this festive time one of the most dangerous holidays of the year. Between 2007 and 2011, an estimated 42% of traffic fatalities were due to drinking and driving during the New Year's period. By following these simple New Year’s safety tips, you can avoid becoming a statistic and have a fantastic time bringing in the New Year! 

Staying In For The Evening?

If you are part of the 23% of the U.S. population that plans on entertaining at home and hosting a New Year’s Eve party or watching the ball drop, a few simple tips could prevent the night from ending in a disaster:

• As host, make sure your guests have a designated driver before the party begins. To ensure they all arrive home safely, have the contact information for a local cab company available as well. If a cab or public transportation is unavailable, make sure you have a place in your home for your guest to stay the night and take their keys.
• Have an assortment of non-alcoholic drinks available for your guests. Check out these great, non-alcoholic party drinks your guests will love.
• Set a time to stop serving alcohol hours before the party ends. When the time comes, make sure the beverages are put away.
• To avoid valuable items from being broken or stolen, keep them out of sight and in a secure location. The last thing you want is for that new Christmas present to end up in the trash or walking out the door with a guest.
• Using fireworks on New Years is a tradition, but there are a few safety rules to observe including observing local laws, purchasing fireworks from a reliable source and finding an open area clear of power lines and homes. Also, make sure a responsible adult is supervising children and pets. For more tips on fireworks safety, visit the National Council on Fireworks Safety.
• Between the fireworks, noisemakers and people in your home, pets can get spooked from all the holiday excitement. In case they get loose, make sure your pet is wearing some form of identification tag before the night begins and keep them in a secure location in your home.

Going Out For The Night?

If you’ll be heading out to a party or celebration, plan ahead for the evening. Remember, New Year’s Eve is one of the most dangerous nights on the road, so plan accordingly.

• If you will be drinking, do not drive. Have a designated driver before the night begins.
• Before the night starts, have the contact information for a local cab company, mass transit, or sober family member or friend available. These apps will help you get home safely on New Year’s Eve.
• If you think someone is too impaired to drive, take their keys to prevent them from getting behind the wheel.
• Charge your phone before the night begins. Should you end up in a situation where you cannot get home, you will need to contact someone to pick you up.
• Stay aware of your surroundings. If you see suspicious activity, call the police.
• Avoid being on the road on New Year’s Eve and if you must drive, keep it to a minimum. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration determined that by the time the U.S. finished ringing in the year 2008, 59 people had perished in alcohol-related traffic crashes between 6:00 p.m. on New Year's Eve and 5:59 a.m. the next morning. By comparison, two weeks later the death toll dropped to 13, on the same night of the week.
• Stay social media smart and do not post where you are. This is an invitation for burglars to see you are not home.

Have a safe, wonderful New Years!