Today is New Year’s Eve, a day that we look back to 2008 and look forward in anticipation of 2009. As we prepare to start a new year, people will be partying.

Many of these parties will include alcohol in the festivities. While it may be a typical practice, we always need to make sure that we don’t put ourselves in a difficult situation when we are traveling to and from these parties.

First of all, you need to decide now whether you are going to drink alcohol on New Year’s Eve. If you are, then you need to plan ahead. There are several options that you have to keep everyone safe during this holiday.

You can decide to have a designated driver for the evening. You will have one sober person ready to drive home after the party. Everyone else might be passed out in the car, but that designated driver will make sure everyone will make it home.

Having a designated driver is also a good idea if you are going to be hosting a party where you are serving alcoholic drinks.

This person can drive people back home if they had too many to drive.

AAA of Alabama is also offering driver-free towing for their vehicles within 10 miles. AAA spokesperson Clay Ingram said the organization’s goal is to keep impaired drivers off the road so everyone can get home safely.

Another option open is to spend the night at the friend’s house.

This will allow you to sleep off the alcohol and then drive home sober the next morning. That would be better than having a wreck on the way home because you’re too drunk.

The saying “Don’t drink and drive” has been around for many years, but many of us don’t think about this, especially after you have a few drinks. So the key is to think about it now.

Doing this will help keep you and others safe so the new year doesn’t get off to a bad start. - Clanton Advertiser