AAA Carolinas

CHARLOTTE — AAA Carolinas urges those planning to celebrate the arrival of 2019 to do so safely, especially when on the road. New Year’s Eve is one of the holidays that is most widely celebrated with alcohol. If drinking is part of your New Year’s holiday plan this season, don’t get behind the wheel.

“Don’t start 2019 with a tragedy,” said Dave Parsons, president and CEO of AAA Carolinas. “Have a plan before you take your first sip of alcohol by designating a sober driver or using a ride sharing service such as Uber or Lyft to ensure a safe holiday for you and everyone else on the road.”

Last year, there were 690 crashes resulting in 345 injuries and eight fatalities in North Carolina over the 24-hour period of New Year’s, according to the NCDOT.

For those celebrating New Year’s, AAA Carolinas offers the following tips:

·         Decide ahead of time whether you will be drinking or driving – you cannot do both.
·         Plan your ride home before the night begins – whether that be designating a sober driver or planning to use a taxi service/ride sharing service.
·         Download a ride-sharing app for convenience. Play around with the app to familiarize yourself with it.
·         Be aware of those around you. If you see someone getting behind the wheel intoxicated, take their keys and assist them in finding a safe ride home.
·         If you are hosting a party with alcohol, be a responsible host. Allow guests to stay the night if they need to or find them a safe ride home.
·         Have non-alcoholic beverages on hand and stop serving alcohol at least an hour before your guests go home.
·         If you see a driver on the road who you suspect is impaired, pull over to a safe spot and call 911 – giving police a description of the vehicle.

Motorists are also advised to keep an eye out for pedestrians who have had too much to drink and may jaywalk and not obey traffic signals. Walking while intoxicated can also be deadly, as coordination and lack of attention puts drunk pedestrians at risk of getting hit by a vehicle. Bar crawlers are urged to keep an eye out for cars, cross at intersections, and obey walk signals.

The North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Program is partnering with law enforcement across the state to put on its annual holiday Booze It & Lose It campaign, which runs from Dec. 8, – Jan. 1, 2019.