NYE Celebrating the New Year – New Year’s Eve: How to Have Fun While Staying Safe
From fireworks to drinking and partying, it’s no surprise that New Year’s Eve is one of the deadliest holidays of the year. For many people, the winter holiday season is about spending time with friends and loved ones, enjoying a break from work or school, celebrating good fortunes, and optimistically looking ahead to what will come. This leads to people consuming a lot of alcohol, which can have disastrous consequences.
So, what are the risks on New Year’s Eve?
- Injuries (like head trauma, shattered knees, whiplash, spinal damage, broken legs, chest injuries) and even death from drunk driving accidents. Approximately 300 people die in drunk driving accidents in the week between Christmas and New Year’s, and in December of 2016 alone, 781 people died in drunk-driving related accidents. In all car accidents on New Year’s Eve, about 42% involve a drunk driver.
- Alcohol poisoning. 40% of men and 47% of women binge drink on New Year’s Eve. Some signs of alcohol poisoning include slow or irregular breathing, vomiting, confusion, and low body temperatures.
- Burns and other injuries from fireworks and gunfire accidents.
- Pedestrian injuries.
Tips for staying safe:
- Decide on someone to be the designated driver for the night, before the drinking starts.
- Alternatively, use public transportation, or call a cab or rideshare service like Uber. Do not walk home drunk, especially if you’re by yourself and/or will be traveling along busy roads.
- Check the weather for the night before you leave, and plan accordingly. Dress appropriately and bring a jacket or umbrella if needed.
- Only use legal fireworks, and do your research beforehand for how to safely operate different fireworks. Keep a fire extinguisher nearby, and keep children and pets away from the area.
- Avoid the busiest travel hours from 9pm-2am.
- Drink responsibly; pace yourself and make sure to stay alert and awake. Never drink and drive.
- Be prepared for an emergency!
At The Law Firm of Brian S. Brijbag, we don’t relish any time someone gets into an accident – instead, we want to help you make informed decisions to encourage safe driving and avoid car accidents, which increase by about 34% around the holidays. If you or someone you know is injured in an accident this season, we can help you understand your rights, get the medical care you need, and settle your claims with insurance companies (depending on available policies). For more information about us and how we can help you, check out our website or Facebook page. We hope you all have a safe and strong end of 2020, followed by a happy and healthy beginning of 2021!
Proudly Serving:
Homosassa
Shady Hills
Bayonet Point