In this Jan. 1, 2019, file photo a “Happy New Year” hat lies on the wet ground along with other items following the celebration in New York’s Times Square.
The Associated Press File Photo
New Year’s is a time for celebration as people say goodbye to 2023 and welcome in 2024.
During this time, drunk driving, gun and fireworks-related incidents go up across the United States every New Year’s Eve and Day.
Local public safety officials have tips the public can use to help them avoid becoming a part of these statistics this holiday weekend.
Drunk driving
The National Safety Council estimates that 375 people may die on U.S. roads during this New Year’s Day holiday period, which they define as 6 p.m. Friday to 11:59 p.m. Monday. This estimate is down 8% from the 408 deaths estimated by the council for the 2023 New Year’s Day holiday period.
Holidays are traditionally a time of travel for families, with many choosing car travel, which has the highest fatality rate of any major form of motorized transportation based on fatalities per passenger mile. Holidays are also often cause for celebrations involving alcohol consumption, a major contributing factor to motor-vehicle crashes, according to the council.
It’s one thing to stay at home and enjoy an alcoholic beverage to ring in the new year. But it’s different situation if you’re hosting a party where people are traveling and going to drink alcohol under your supervision, said Mike Pruitt, deputy chief of the Bargersville Community Fire Department.
“If you’re hosting a party, you’re taking on a huge responsibility, especially if you’re serving alcohol,” he said. “So you need to serve alternative-type refreshments, whether it’s sodas, so people don’t necessarily feel like they have to drink.”
Those who do ultimately drink while out should make sure they have a designated sober driver, or call an Uber or Lyft to get home.
“There’s plenty of services out there, even if you just have a couple and you think that you’re sober,” said Duane Burgess, Johnson County sheriff. “You may be sober under the legal limit, but you’re putting yourself in danger and you’re putting others in danger. So don’t risk that.”
Alternatively, those who have been drinking shouldn’t travel anywhere, and the host should collect keys from people to make sure they don’t drink and drive, Pruitt said.
Like many law enforcement agencies, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office typically has deputies out on New Year’s looking for drunk drivers. People tend to use common sense when it comes to drinking because they know law enforcement is looking for drunk drivers, Burgess said.
Because of this, the number of drunk driving arrests tends to be lower compared to other holidays like Labor Day or Memorial Day, he said.
Guns
Celebratory gunfire is something people should not do to celebrate the new year. It is illegal and can put both the gunman and those around them at risk of injury.
“What goes up must come down and you’re responsible for that round,” Burgess said.
The sheriff’s office typically sees a high number of calls involving people firing guns in the air, Burgess said.
Pruitt has seen the danger of shooting guns into the air firsthand. He’s been to calls where the bullet struck someone inside a house.
“We totally discourage (people) from firing any type of weapon on New Year’s. That’s not what they’re meant for,” Pruitt said. “People probably don’t think anything about that projectile coming back down and injuring someone or damaging someone’s property, but it can happen and that’s not how you want to start out your new year.”
When alcohol is added into this, the situation is made worse and people can make bad choices, he said.
Fireworks
Fireworks are permitted on New Year’s Eve, but people should exercise caution.
In Indiana, it is legal to shoot off fireworks from 9 a.m. to midnight on New Year’s Eve. Local cities and towns may have more strict rules, and residents should look up their town’s code of ordinances for more information.
People under the age of 18 should not use fireworks. These devices should also not be used with alcohol, and different types of fireworks should not be mixed together, Pruitt said.
Fireworks should be shot in an open area, and not around any structures or items that could catch fire, he said.
In 2022, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported fireworks were involved in more than 10,000 injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments. Those between 15 to 19 years old had the highest estimated rate of injury, followed by children ages 10 to 14, the report shows.
Those who do shoot off fireworks should be respectful of their neighbors and their privacy, Pruitt said.
“Be respectful,” he said.
Burgess’ best piece of advice for people going into the holiday? Just using common sense, he said.
“Use common sense, designated drivers, Lyft, Uber,” Burgess said. “If it feels wrong, don’t do it.”
