As a host or hostess, your job is to ensure that your guests are having a good time: the food is tasty, the drinks are cold, and the ambiance is warm and inviting. While these are important elements to consider, there is also another duty, perhaps more important than any other—ensuring that your guests do not drink and drive after leaving your party.
Top 5 Ways to Be a Responsible Hostess
The Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control has compiled a list of the best ways to prevent drunk driving and to help your guests arrive home safely. As Virginia Beach personal injury lawyers, we have seen too many accidents caused by partygoers who have had one too many and then decide to drive home. It is your job, as a host or hostess, to help prevent a Virginia Beach drunk driving accident.
We suggest that you use the following tips to help prevent your guests from drinking and driving:
- Never allow anyone under the age of 21 to drink at your party. If this person is caught or causes an accident, you could be held liable in both criminal and civil cases.
- Offer your guests a wide range of beverages, including easy access to non-alcoholic drinks such as water, tea, and soda.
- Speak with your guests ahead of time to ensure that they all have a sober ride home. Arrange carpools and cabs, or allow some guests to stay the night.
- Serve food. Serving food to your guests can help slow their intake of alcohol and will slow the absorption of alcohol in the bloodstream; however, it does not change the time it takes the effects of the alcohol to wear off.
- At the end of the night, be prepared to head off a potential accident by insisting that a guest not drive home. If needed, take the keys from your guest and insist that he find a sober ride home or stay the night.
Working Together to Prevent a Virginia Beach Car Crash
Our dedicated Virginia Beach car accident attorneys want nothing more than to put an end to accidents in Virginia. We have seen the impact of these accidents and believe that public awareness is the best way to prevent car crashes. Please join us in stopping drunk drivers before they get the chance to get behind the wheel.
If you have been hurt during a car crash in Virginia Beach or anywhere in Virginia, contact an attorney dedicated to your rights. Get the compensation you deserve; call 757.625.1214 today for your consultation.