Safety is Key to Your New Year’s Eve Celebration

Christmas is over, and that means we have our sights set on the end of the year. As we bid farewell to 2018 and welcome to 2019, you will probably have plans to celebrate with family and friends. Many will be counting down at a bar or club, while others will be partying in the comfort of their own homes. To prepare you, the Law Offices of Anthony Carbone has some tips for enjoying your New Year’s celebration safely.

Drunk Driving

One of the most obvious hazards related to New Year’s Eve is drinking and driving. Like we mentioned at the beginning, most people in New Jersey will be celebrating at a bar or club. That means they will be drinking, while some will be undoubtedly driving under the influence.

According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 94.3 percent of drivers find it unacceptable to be behind the wheel while drunk, yet 13.5 percent of drivers admit to driving their vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. So even with the best intentions, people still get behind the wheel after having too much to drink.

We aren’t telling you not to celebrate, rather celebrate safely. Here are a few steps to avoid getting a DUI:

• Don’t drink
• Have a designated driver
• Walk home
• Call a taxi, Uber, or Lyft
• Use public transit
• Stay home or stay over your friend’s or family’s home

Fireworks

Aside from drunk driving, another hazard you must watch out for on New Year’s Eve is fireworks. Like the Fourth of July, New Year’s Eve is a major day for fireworks displays in New Jersey and around the country.

Fireworks can lead to a variety of injuries, such as a severe burn or loss of an extremity. If you plan on using fireworks as part of your New Year’s celebration, there are some things you should consider before igniting the fuse:

• Follow the directions on the fireworks package
• Never let children use fireworks
• Only light fireworks outdoors
• Do not re-ignite fireworks that didn’t go off
• Have a water source on hand to soak any misfired fireworks or to prevent a fire

Celebratory Gunfire

It’s never a good idea to fire a gun aimlessly, but apparently, people like to do it on New Year’s Eve. A bullet can travel up to 2 miles in the air before falling back down at a speed between 300 to 700 feet per second. An object traveling at that speed is fast enough to kill you.

Stray bullets kill dozens of people each year. To avoid this from happening, we advise that you not aim and fire your gun into the sky. Besides being dangerous, it’s also illegal.

Contact the Law Offices of Anthony Carbone

We hope everyone has a wonderful and safe New Year’s Eve celebration! If you need legal advice in 2019, don’t forget to give the Law Offices of Anthony Carbone a call. We are here to fight for your rights.