Deaths and injuries caused by drunk driving happen too often, tearing apart too many families and too many lives. There is so much that can be done to prevent it before it happens. If you’re hosting a party this season, consider incorporating the following tips for preventing drunk driving from your guests.
Arranged Transportation
If it’s a really big party with a large number of guests, consider arranging an official form of sober transportation. Whether it’s getting a friend or family member to drive people around, arranging a shuttling or limo service, this could be a great way to protect your friends and guests from drunk driving after a party. Advertise this service throughout the party so that your guests know that it is an available alternative to driving themselves home.
Arranged Accomodation
If it’s at a hotel, see if you can get complimentary or discounted rates on rooms for those who are unable to get themselves home safely. This will encourage inebriated guests to just stay over rather than find their way home, the former being commonly the safer option. If it’s at a home with a smaller party, assure your guests that they can stay over (even if not too comfortably) if they have had too much to drink. They might not be incredibly comfortable, but at least they are safe.
Non-Alcoholic Drinks
Offer plenty of non-alcoholic drinks to make it easy on non drinkers and designated drivers to find beverages. With a greater variety, it might also encourage your guests to consume less alcohol (as compared to a situation in which almost all of the drink options are alcoholic). It’s also a good idea to stop serving alcoholic drinks and only offer these non-alcoholic drinks starting two hours before the party ends. This gives your guests enough time to sober up a bit, which could help them make better decisions upon leaving.
Food
Offer plenty of food. Food helps the body process the alcohol, and it takes attention away from the drinks. It also gives something for the designated drivers to munch on while staying sober. Don’t offer foods that are too salty, though, since that makes people thirstier. If you’re not serving a meal, have abundant amounts of appetizers and snacks available for people to balance out their drinking.
Keep an Eye Out
Watch over your guests. If you see that someone has reached their limit, do your best to prevent them from having any more to drink. If you see someone that is clearly unable to drive, take away their keys. Sometimes all it takes is the action of one concerned person who would have otherwise been a passive bystander to prevent a drunk driving accident.
Sometimes, even if you do everything right, accidents and injuries can still happen if you or one of your guests gets hit by another drunk driver. In these cases, you are not to blame and the injured victims deserve compensation for their damages, pain, and suffering.
Ultimately, remember that drunk driving is absolutely preventable; let’s make the world safer by working together.
Zane Schwarzlose is a writer at Alamo Injury Attorneys, a personal injury law firm in San Antonio, Texas. Zane always likes arranging transportation for his friends.
