Safe Spot: New Year's Eve

DRIVING: Don’t drink and drive. Duh. New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are two of the most dangerous days for drunk driving, specifically between the hours of midnight and 5:00 am. Please plan to stay where you are or call a ride if you need to travel while intoxicated. Even if you won’t be enjoying cocktails for the holiday, be mindful of dangerous drivers on the road. Wear your seatbelt, keep your eyes open, put your cell phone down, and focus on getting home as safely as possible. Call an UBER or LYFT (Promo Code: SHMBNYE17).

PARTIES: Be aware of your surroundings at all times! Do not leave your drink unattended and make sure you have a cell phone or some type of communication device in case of an emergency.

Keep Good Company: Please try not to attend festivities alone. Make sure that you always have a friend with you when you go out.

FIREWORKS: Shooting off fireworks and/or guns to ring in the New Year can be very dangerous, and in St. Louis— IT’S ILLEGAL! If you want to see fireworks on New Year’s Eve, please leave it to the professionals! It’s illegal in the city of St. Louis to shoot fireworks: bottle rockets, firecrackers, sparklers, anything.

PETS: If you’re home with your pets when the clock strikes midnight, try to give them a little extra love. Sudden loud noises can be very frightening for animals. When animals are scared, it can cause them to run away, act out, or bite – so give them a little bit of additional love on New Year’s Eve. If you won’t be home, keep your pets inside, in a comfortable room, with the TV or comforting music playing to drown out the loud sudden noises that might occur.

Home Safety: Whether you will be in your home or gone for the night, make sure your home is secured. Double check doors and windows to ensure they are securely shut and locked. If your home has any gates, double check those to make sure they are securely shut and locked, too. When you leave, don’t forget to close your garage door! Sometimes we can be in a rush to get somewhere and may forget to close it on our way out.