Police and law enforcement across Southern Florida are working to ensure everyone enjoys a safe and fun New Year’s eve. However, drunk driving in Hollywood and across the region continues to be a concern. Each year, some drivers choose to make the wrong decisions when celebrating the new year, and innocent pedestrians and passengers sometimes get hurt.
To keep you and your loved ones safe this year, make sure you:
1) Reduce temptation as far as possible.
Leave your car at home if you’re going out for New Year’s eve, so you will not be tempted to drink and drive. Or, give your keys to someone you trust when you start drinking. Your judgement may be clouded by the end of the night, when you are tired and feeling the effects of what you have consumed, so making it harder to drink and drive is a smart precaution.
2) Talk to your loved ones—especially new drivers.
Teenagers may be scared to call you for a safe ride home, especially if they have been drinking and are worried you’ll be upset. Before the last hours of 2016, make sure your loved ones know they can call you for no-judgement help. Give your teens the names and numbers of family friends and other family members they can call even if they are nervous about calling you.
3) Have multiple plans in place.
Designated drivers may make the wrong choices, taxis may be scarce after midnight, and your careful plans to drink very little may not turn out as you expect. Always have a few options to get home safely, so you can make a smart decision, no matter what.
4) Consider an alcohol-free New Year.
Avoiding drinking is a simple way to avoid a DUI accident. There are many family-friendly New Year’s Eve events across Southern Florida and you can always host your own no-alcohol event at home.
5) Keep an eye out for drunk driving.
Even if you use common sense during your New Year’s Eve night out, you can still be affected by someone else’s negligence. If you are driving home from festivities, make sure you are alert enough to drive home safely. Also, keep an eye out for any drivers who are weaving in and out of lanes, driving aggressively, or showing other signs of impaired driving. If you see drunk drivers on the roads, pull over far from the driver to get out of their way. Call the police to report the driver before they injure themselves or someone else.
6) Know your options.
In Miami-Dade County, the Metrorail and Metromovers will be running all night and into January first. The American Automobile Association also has a “Tow to Go” program to offer a last-resort for stranded revelers. Lyft and Uber will likely have more cars on the roads and taxi services will be running all night.
If you are injured by a drunk driver or are in a car accident in Southern Florida, contact Flaxman Law Group. The phone lines of our law firm are staffed around the clock, so you can reach someone when you need immediate advice.