The hustle and bustle of the holiday season gets everyone in a festive spirit. I love the Christmas holidays and I try to enjoy each and every minute. The music, the decorations, the lights, the food, the drinks, and the ambience are so inviting and distracting. With all these diversions surrounding us, we must be vigilant while operating or moving around a vehicle.

All too often, you’ll see shoppers coming out of a mall, laden with Christmas presents, who don’t even think twice before stepping into the flow of moving mall traffic. Add a distracted driver and some icy roads, and you have the potential for tragedy. Even at slow speeds, a collision between a pedestrian and a vehicle can have dire consequences.

During the month of December, we tend to drive a bit more than usual with gift shopping, parties, visiting friends and family, or enjoying the holidays by checking out the light displays on peoples homes. Whatever the reason you are out driving, please do so sober and without checking texts on your cell phone.

Driving is a complex task and demands all of our attention. Impaired driving doesn’t only involve alcohol. You can become impaired by lack of sleep. Put the two together and you’re risking your life and those of innocent people.

Plan ahead. If you’re heading out to a New Year’s party and you plan to drink, then plan ahead. Figure out ahead of time who is going to be the designated driver, call a taxi, or get a friend to pick you up. Or stay where you are until the morning.

Stay home. If you don’t have to go out, then don’t. Celebrate the New Year’s at home with your family. More people will be driving under the influence on this particular night, so avoid a potentially dangerous accident by staying off the roads and enjoying the comfort of your home. If you are going out, be extremely alert, wear your seatbelts, and drive defensively.

Hang out with your friends. If going out to a party or nightclub, they can get busy, wild and crazy real quick, so be sure to stick with the people you came to the event with.

Monitor your drinks. It’s easy to get into the party moment and forget our alcohol tolerance. Be sure to keep a handle on how many drinks you’re ingesting. Too much alcohol can have lethal affects.

Be extra careful with Fireworks! Celebrations for the New Year can often include the use of fireworks. Remember it’s illegal to discharge fireworks in most cities without permission.

I hope everyone has an unforgettable night, in a good way. By simply using some common sense, you can keep it that way and ring in the New Year safely.

Happy New Years!