By Chief Scott A. Singer
Piedmont Police Chief
I’m sure that given the plethora of mandates barring many from enjoying the past year, there will be many seeking to cut loose during the opening moments of the New Year. While craziness has always seemed a part of the celebrations, it might be well to restate some common sense recommendations to ensure your new year doesn’t start with a trip to somewhere you’d rather not be…hospital, jail, morgue…you fill in the blanks with your worst nightmare, then plan to avoid trouble.
Booze’n and Cruise’n don’t mix!
According to the American Safety Council: “The combination of sheer number of travelers plus the inevitability of irresponsibly impaired drivers makes for a dangerous evening on the roads and one of the most-deadliest days for drunk driving in our nation.” Additionally, the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office (OHSO) joins with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) each year in the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign. During the holidays, law enforcement agencies use high-visibility patrols, checkpoints, and saturation enforcement efforts to help to curb those choosing to drive while impaired. Locally, we’ll be following the lead of the national effort to attempt to stop deadly driving practices this year. So, be watching for us…because we’re certainly watching for you. And, while we don’t expect to address all those choosing to drive unwisely, we will get our share.
One may ask how do I/we avoid an inopportune meeting with law enforcement this New Year’s Eve. The answer is found in the old concept of the “six Ps.” For the uninitiated, the six Ps are: Prior Planning Prevents Pretty Poor Performance! In other words, if you plan on imbibing this holiday season, plan in advance for transportation and a responsible person to care for you should you go a little overboard. Uber, cabs, private vehicles with designated drivers, or any form of public transportation that may be appropriate given your condition. Should you be attending an event in a hotel, maybe spending the night might work well. And last, should you choose to drive yourself to planned or unplanned gatherings, consider that if you are intoxicated, and have a vehicle at the event, you may have to leave it there for the night, lending the situation to the favor of thieves or vandals. Your best bet in this situation is to not drive at all but find another means of getting to the party.
Hosting, a two-edged sword!
While hosting a gathering has its benefits, it also carries with the benefits, dangers and responsibilities. According to the American Safety Council, hosts are well advised to consider these tips for keeping guests safe, and the host out of trouble or worse weighed down with inconsolable grief. Some of these tips include:
- Making sure smoke alarms are in working order.
- Have a comprehensive list of emergency contacts and locations (hospitals, local authorities, transportation sources.
- Offer non-alcoholic beverages and keep lots of water on hand.
- For visual recognition, use different colored drink cups to denote alcoholic from non-alcoholic beverages. Also, any beverage container left unattended, should be collected, the contents emptied and kept out of the reach of children or pets.
- Provide for a last call several hours before the party ends and enforce the rules.
- Provide food and snacks for party goers.
- Follow the local and state laws on providing alcoholic beverages or intoxicating substances – especially to children.
- Make arrangements for guests to stay overnight should they be too intoxicated to venture out into the night.
Things that go BOOM
All of us can relate to hearing fireworks and explosions that sound like gunfire. First, if using fireworks, consider that possession and use may be prohibited by law in the area in which you live. Also, being intoxicated and using fireworks or any pyrotechnic device is a particularly dangerous combination. Such displays – usually private – can create dangerous fires, serious personal injury, and in some cases, death. Therefore, know the laws in your area, only allow a sober person to attempt to use fireworks, and be prepared with fire extinguishers or a water source should the celebration get out of hand. Next, be considerate of your neighbors. Not only are some likely to be disturbed by your revelry, but any pets you or they may have could possibly suffer negative effects of the reports of the devices.
Last, firearms are never to be considered an alternative to fireworks for noise making. State and local law prohibits intoxicated persons from being in possession or using firearms, with penalties ranging from fines and jail time to huge lawsuits. Consider that in the same manner vehicles and alcohol or intoxicants don’t mix; firearms and intoxicants don’t either. Tragically, every year, private celebrations turn deadly due to the reckless use of firearms. Consider this last piece of advice…arming yourselves with a firearm or driving a vehicle while intoxicated is a wanton act. As such, should you create harm, you will be held accountable.
So, from the members of our police department, have a safe, sane and non-regrettable New Year’s Eve! Make 2022 the start of a great year, for yourself, your family, friends and others you share the world with. Until next year, consider the words of Swedish politician and former Prime Minister, Goran Persson. He said: “Let our New Year’s resolution be this: we will be there for one another as fellow members of humanity, in the finest sense of the word.”
Read more columns from Piedmont Police Chief Scott Singer in The Piedmont-Surrey Gazette each week and subscribe today by calling (405) 577-6208.
