Tips to celebrate New Year’s weekend safely

LAWTON, Okla. (KSWO) – This weekend marks the tip of 1 12 months and the start of the following.

It’s a vacation historically celebrated over drinks.

“Some of the biggest things that we see at the Lawton Police Department when we come around New Year’s Eve and New Year is intoxicated people,” Officer Blessing mentioned.

According to Driving School.net, crashes are 71% extra doubtless to occur due to alcohol or medicine throughout New Year’s Eve & day, when put next to a mean weekend evening.

“Unfortunately, in this town, it’s not a whole lot to do when it comes to New Year’s Eve. So they tend to go out, go to bars and drink and things like that,” Officer Blessing mentioned.

In Oklahoma, it’s unlawful to drive or function a motorized vehicle with a blood alcohol focus of 0.08 or increased.

If you’re caught, you might be fined over $10,000, lose your driver’s license, and probably spend years in jail.

That’s why LPD is suggesting ride-share apps.

“Contact a taxi cab, contact an uber, contact a Lyft, contact a friend or family member. Find other avenues to take to get yourself home safely,” Officer Blessing mentioned.

Officer Blessing additionally means that individuals who plan to host a home occasion, take everybody’s keys once they arrive.

“Because the last thing you want to do is have them leave your house intoxicated get behind the wheel and end up hurting themselves or killing themselves or somebody else,” Officer Blessing mentioned.

He asks individuals to watch out even when they haven’t been ingesting, as a result of different drivers might have been.

“We have a saying, I think everyone does. You can be at the wrong place at the wrong time. And that is the last thing we want anyone to do is be a victim because you are at the wrong place at the wrong time,” Blessing mentioned.

Officer Blessing additionally encourages those that plan to exit in teams to keep collectively the entire evening and plan to arrive and go away collectively.

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