Social hosts may be sued and held liable
when guests consume alcohol and then injure
themselves or others. The information on
this website is provided only for
educational purposes in order to help
increase the safety of guests and others and is not a substitute for legal advice.
Please consult a lawyer to deal with
specific situations.
TIPS TO HELP PREVENT FRIENDS
AND GUESTS
FROM DRINKING AND DRIVING
•
Plan ahead! Before a get-together with friends,
make sure you have a plan for getting to and home from the party safely.
Take turns being the designated driver, arrange for a sober driver to pick
you up, make sure everyone has money for cabs or public transit, or make up
your spare room or couch.
•
Just say no.
Politely, but firmly, tell them you cannot let them drive home because you
care. The first time you do this will be the toughest, but your actions
could save your friend's life or that of an innocent victim.
•
Call
a cab. Make sure you have cash on hand and telephone numbers so you can call
a cab. You may want to pay the fare in advance for a friend. That's one way
to show you really care.
•
Take the wheel. If
you're having a party and one of your friends has had too much to drink and
should not drive, offer to drive them home. To be sure your friend arrives
home safely, you can drive him or her yourself, if you haven't also been
drinking.
•
Sleepover time. Have your friend
or guest sleep over. This way you won't have to drive and your guest or
friend won't have to return the next day for the car.
•
Parking
plan. If you’re having a party at your house and parking is limited,
arrange for a few overnight parking spots – either with your neighbours,
or in a nearby lot that’s secure.
•
Reach
out and touch someone. If they have a cell phone, ask them who’s on their
speed-dial that they can call for a ride.
•
Persuade the person to hand over their keys. Here are some hints on how to
help get the keys from someone who
has been drinking and intends to drive:
Be
calm. Joke about it. Make light of it.
Make it clear that you're doing them a favour.
If it’s
a close friend, be soft and calm. Speak to him or her privately and
suggest that they let someone else drive, or take a cab or public
transit.
If
it’s a good friend, spouse, or loved one, refuse to get in the car
with them. Tell him or her you will ride with someone else, take public
transportation, or walk.
If you don't know the person well, speak to their friends and ask them to help. Even if you do know someone well, it’s never a bad idea to enlist someone else’s help if you encounter some resistance.
