New Year’s Eve Transportation — Be Complete in Your Planning

By Zane T. Cagle | December 28, 2018 | Car Accidents, Drunk Driving, Featured, Inattentiveness, Wrongful Death

Know How You are Getting Home Safely after the Party

So, you know the Where and the When of your New Year’s Eve party, but unless safe/sober transportation home is planned— Planning is not complete. In order to make sure that the entire gang is here for the New Year’s Day hangover, one must plan how everyone is getting home safely. Yes, I know, planning safe rides for everyone is not the “fun” part of the party plan. If planning transportation doesn’t sound “fun” now, it will sound even less appealing at the end of the NYE’s celebration.

Planning Your Safe Ride Home is the Most Important Portion of the Party Plan

While it is the least fun part of planning, it is the most important. If you or your friends are involved in one of the many 1,000 of motor vehicle crashes that occur every holiday season, then future celebrations may be in jeopardy. Every holiday season, 100’s of lives are lost due to drunk driving. It’s simply ridiculous to drive after you have been drinking. The impact of drunk driving has been felt intimately by most Americans and indirectly by nearly every American.

We’ve known the dangers of drunk driving for literally decades now. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) develops safety campaigns every year and spends a fortune running advertising to educate and remind all drivers such as Drive sober or get pulled over. Again, public safety commercials have aired for decades!

DUI Justice Link has created a resource by state for sober/safe ride programs. St. Louis, MO links include DShofer where a driver takes you home in your own car, St. Louis Designated Driver, again a driver drives you home in your own car! and Be My DD, same idea. Again, ride share such as Lyft, Uber, and cab companies will be running all night NYE into the hours of New Year’s Day!

Follow the lead of Major Brands, “Get Your Drunk Ass Home Thanksgiving Eve with a Free Ride from Major Brands” 11/19/18. There are businesses that offer help with safe transportation and looking for those resources is simply a part of your party plan!

Driving While Intoxicated is the Definition of Negligence

Because we all have been personally impacted by drunk driving, and because we have literally been educated about the dangers of drunk driving for decades, it is just a negligent and stupid decision to climb behind the wheel after you’ve been drinking. In St. Louis, you can bet that there will be DUI stops around the city. The goal of these checkpoints is to increase the immediate awareness of the importance of sober driving. The threat of a DUI arrest is the short term consequence. Long-term consequences of driving under the influence include a criminal record at minimum and a serious or fatal car crash possibly.

At our firm, we do deal with the long-term consequences of drunk drivers. It is a nightmare for the families and victims of drunk driving crashes. Serious injury crashes and fatal crashes are always horrible, but the needless tragedy of drunk driving is infuriating because it is 100% preventable.

Solution- Simply Plan for the Celebration

Simply have a plan for safe transportation to your home, hotel or friend’s home after the party. Considering the options in St. Louis, no one should drive under the influence. Lyft, Uber and multiple St. Louis cab companies will all be out all during New Year’s Eve. Or, designate a sober driver in your group. I know, it’s a term coined before Uber, Lyft, cabs and Metro, but some people still do old school DD’s!

Even the liquor companies want everyone to plan, plan, plan!!! No one is selling the notion that we all won’t celebrate on NYE with alcohol; however, we are seriously advocating that everyone plan in advance. After one has been drinking is not the time to develop a plan. Some people religiously use ride-share after they have been drinking throughout the year—-kudos! Remember NYE is one of the busiest party nights of the year, so have a back-up plan.

If you are involved in a motor vehicle crash, we are here to help.

Call us toll free 1.800.685.3302 or locally 314.391.5220

About The Author

Zane T. Cagle

Zane T. Cagle is the founding president and lead trial attorney at The Cagle Law Firm. With a strong dedication to his clients, he has built a reputation for his tenacious representation in personal injury cases, ensuring each client's unique story is heard. Areas of Practice: Personal injury, motor vehicle accidents, wrongful death. Bar Admissions: Supreme Court of Missouri, Illinois & Kentucky. Superior Court of U.S. Virgin Islands Education: Washington University School of Law. Awards: Super Lawyers, Top 40 Under 40 by The National Trial Lawyers Association, 10 Best in Missouri for Customer Satisfaction.

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