During the New Year, people love to party. By the end of the night, most people are intoxicated to the point where they shouldn’t be operating any heavy machinery. However, they still decide to drive even though they put other people on the road in danger because they think they are good enough at driving. According to WJTV news, “During the overnight period on New Year’s Eve, that rate spikes all the way to 42% — a 208% increase.” This means the number of people driving drunk doubles on New Year’s, so even if you’re sober driving on New Year’s you’re still putting yourself in danger.
With nearly half of the people on the road intoxicated on New Year, it’s safer to find ways to celebrate without having to leave your house. I talked to Christian Mays, a student at Belleville, and he said, “You can have people over like friends and family, spend time together at someone’s house, and let everyone stay the night.” This is one way people can still celebrate the New Year and party without worrying about their friends or family having to drive. The more people that stay in will reduce the number of drunk drivers on the road.
Here are some ways you can celebrate from home during the New Year:
- Host a game night with friends and family
- Have a potluck where everyone brings a dish
- Have a neighborhood block party
- Recreate the countdown and make resolutions with friends and family
- Movie marathon
- Pajama party
- New Year-themed baking party
Set your goals for 2025 with others and hold each other accountable. The New Year is a fresh start, so you should start the year off in a safe way. However, most people go out to parties and end up in bad situations that could have been avoided. That is why giving meaning to your New Year celebrations by doing them from home with the people you love is a good alternative to putting your life at risk for one night.
