Are you hosting a holiday party at your home this year? If so, do you intend to serve alcohol at your party? Serving alcohol at your party and enjoying alcoholic beverages during the holidays is not inherently a bad thing. However, drinking too much and then driving is a dangerous and reckless decision. Drinking and driving puts everyone on the road in danger of being killed or seriously injured.
When hosting your holiday party this year, make sure that you take steps to help your guests avoid a DUI accident.
Ways to Prevent Drinking and Driving After Your Holiday Party
If you are serving alcoholic beverages at your holiday party, you can take steps to reduce the risk that your guests will drive while under the influence of alcohol.
- Stop serving alcohol about two hours before the end of your party. Put out the desserts and switch to coffee, non-alcoholic eggnog, hot tea, and apple cider.
- Have a plan in place to help guests who have had too much to drink get home safely. You may want to have several designated drivers available or arrange for public transportation.
- For guests who might be out of town or have a long drive, arrange an overnight visit with a stay at your home or a hotel. If your guest is staying at a hotel, make sure to arrange safe transportation to the hotel after the party.
- Make the focus of your party on food or entertainment instead of alcohol.
- Have plenty of non-alcoholic drinks available throughout the party. Make the drinks fun and holiday-inspired to encourage guests to drink the non-alcoholic choices too.
- Avoid drinks that “mask” the amount of alcohol a person is drinking. For instance, rum punch and punch made with wine often does not taste like alcohol at all. Guests may be lulled into thinking they are not drinking too much with these types of beverages.
- Make sure you have plenty of food available at your party. Use a wide variety of food to appeal to all guests and to keep guests more focused on the food rather than the alcoholic beverages.
- Pay attention to your guests. Watch for signs that a guest may have had too much to drink. This requires you to remain sober yourself.
- Use smaller cups to serve beverages to limit alcohol.
- If you are having a large party, hire a bartender to handle the bar. A bartender is trained to watch for people who have had too much to drink. Tell the bartender to alert you immediately if he feels a guest is having too much to drink.
With a little planning and some diligence, you can host a fantastic holiday party and reduce the risk of a tragic drinking and driving accident.
Call a New Orleans DUI Accident Attorney for Help
If a drunk driver causes you or your family to be injured this holiday season, we can help. Call Attorney Fred Olinde of The Olinde Firm at (504) 587-1440 or 1-800-587-1889 to discuss your legal options for recovering compensation from a drunk driver. Contact our office now for your free case evaluation and free consultation with a New Orleans DUI accident attorney.