Celebrating the New Year requires all of us to make sure not only that we ourselves do so safely, but also that we are vigilant regarding the safety of others.
Although most of us these days take precautions to ensure that we do not operate a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol (or anything else) on New Year’s Eve — whether by means of having a designated driver, or using Uber, or staying overnight in a hotel — there still are too many among us who will get behind the wheel of a car after having had too much to drink.
The most important thing we can do at an individual level is to prevent our friends and loved ones from becoming another tragic story in the morning news by taking their keys or offering them a ride home if they appear incapable of driving soberly and safely.
New Year’s Eve can be a time of joy — it is up to all of us to make sure it does not turn into a tragedy.
We wish all of our readers a happy, healthy — and safe — New Year.