Media post: Five Ways To Make Sure You Get a Safe Ride Home After a Party
There are a lot of reasons why you should think twice about driving your own car home after a party. You could find yourself with a DUI, which can result in jail time, expensive fines, alcohol screening, and mandated classes. You could injure yourself or other passengers if you drive drunk and you crash your car. Not to mention, if you do crash your car, you could total or damage it beyond repair, which means you will have to dish out a lot of money to fix or replace your vehicle.
Do yourself a favor and make sure that you never drive home drunk. Here are a few ways you can make sure you never get a DUI or find yourself in a car accident after drinking.
Plan a Sober Ride Ahead of Time
The best thing you can do before you head to that party is to plan a sober ride ahead of time. That might mean assigning a member of your party as the designated driver. Choose someone you trust to actually stay sober. That way, you aren’t tempted to drive because you happen to be the least drunk member of your group of friends.
There are other sober ride options! You can consider:
- Calling a cab
- Calling an Uber
- Calling a friend or family member to pick you up
- Taking the bus or the subway
Walking and riding a bike are options too, but you do need to be careful. It’s best to choose these options only if you live relatively close to where you’re drinking, as you can still get stopped by a police officer for public intoxication.
Give Someone Else Your Keys
Whether you have planned a sober ride ahead of time or not, it’s never a bad idea to give your keys to a trusted friend when you arrive at a party.
If you give your keys to someone else, you won’t be able to take off whenever you want. Instead, you’ll have to talk to them about leaving, and they won’t let you go if you are too drunk to drive.
Just make sure you take your house key off of your keychain before you hand over your keys. That way, you don’t get home and realize you can’t get in!
Stop Drinking an Hour or Two Before You Plan To Leave
If you have to be the one to drive, you can enjoy a few drinks as long as you make sure to stop drinking well before you leave at the end of the night.
In general, your body can metabolize about one drink per hour. That means, if you’ve had a drink or two, you have to wait an hour or two before leaving.
This strategy is dependent on exactly how much you have had to drink. If you have been drinking heavily, waiting an hour or two isn’t going to help. This is only an option for those who only have a few drinks in anticipation of needing to drive home at the end of the night.
Make Sure You Eat Something
If you know you’re going to need to drive at the end of the night, but you want to enjoy a few drinks, make sure you eat something.
Food is one of the best ways to affect how fast your body metabolizes alcohol. Make sure you don’t drink on an empty stomach, and continue snacking throughout the evening.
It’s also a good idea to stay hydrated. That means drinking water in between alcoholic drinks and drinking fruit juices that contain vitamins B and C to flush your liver of alcohol.
Have a Backup Plan
There are multiple areas of your life where a plan B can be helpful. Going out at night is one of them.
If your sober ride ends up not being so sober after all, it’s a good idea to know how to call an Uber. If you end up drinking more than you meant to and you can no longer drive, it’s helpful if you have a friend or family member who is always willing to come and get you. Having a backup plan will make sure you don’t drive your car when you shouldn’t.
Getting behind the wheel when you shouldn’t can change your life for the worse. Don’t total your car or end up with a DUI! Follow these tips and you can keep yourself safe, others safe, and your car in one piece.
