St. Patrick’s Day isn’t that far away and if you’re planning to enjoy some festivities with family and friends, here are some St. Patrick’s Day safety tips you should take into consideration before you celebrate.
While St. Patrick’s Day is about Irish heritage, the focus of the holiday tends to be around activities that include alcohol.
Unfortunately, this can lead to rowdy or dangerous behavior that puts everyone at risk. Therefore, it’s important that you drink responsibly this St. Patrick’s Day.
St. Patrick’s Day Safety Tip #1- Always Drive Sober
First and foremost, if you’re planning to drink on St. Patrick’s Day with friends or family, make sure you have a safe way home. You should never drive home under the influence under any circumstances. Make plans ahead of time to get safely to and from your destination.
You can designate a sober driver in your group, use public transportation (if it’s available in your area), or use a ride sharing app like Uber or Lyft on your smartphone to get home safely. Additionally, if you notice someone attempting to operate or operating a vehicle who is clearly intoxicated, notify your local police, because you could save a life.
St. Patrick’s Day Safety Tip #2- Drink Within Your Limits
Before you start drinking with friends and family, understand your limits, and don’t overdo it. Unfortunately, over drinking can happen around any holiday. Many people drink much more than their bodies can handle and often drink too quickly, then when the alcohol finally hits their bloodstream, they become overly intoxicated.
Remember to pace yourself and take it slow, this way you aren’t completely impaired and can make safe decisions throughout the night.
St. Patrick’s Day Safety Tip #3- Have a Safety Plan
Anything can change in a split second, and that’s why it’s important for yourself and your accompanying party to have a safety plan in place:
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- Stick together – it’s safer to be together in a larger group. If someone needs to separate for a bathroom break, keep an eye out until they arrive back safely.
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- Always check your surroundings – regardless of where you are, crowded areas can become dangerous in a second. Make sure you understand how you and your party can escape if need be.
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- Don’t become a victim of theft – remind everyone in your group to keep items like keys, wallets, and phones closeby. It’s incredibly easy to pickpocket individuals in a crowd, especially when they’re distracted by an event.
St. Patrick’s Day Safety Tip #4- Protect Your Property
Your property is also at risk on St. Patrick’s Day. Before you leave, make sure your home is secure. Lock any windows and doors, and secure fencing or sheds if you have them on your property. Additionally, don’t forget to arm your home with a security system if you have one.
Vandalism or theft can unfortunately happen any time of year, but with the greater volume of people out or intoxicated during St. Patrick’s Day, it puts you at a higher risk.
Be proactive before you go. Don’t leave without thoroughly checking everything!
St. Patrick’s Day Safety Tip #5- Understand Liability
If you don’t want to go out and deal with crowds, you can always enjoy the traditional festivities at home. Just be aware that you are responsible for anything that happens in your home. You could also be liable for property or personal damage caused by a guest at your residence, so be sure to review your current homeowners insurance policy with an agent to make sure you’re fully covered before you have a party.
Enjoy the time with your family and friends, but please keep these St. Patrick’s Day safety tips in mind! Are you doing anything special for St. Patrick’s Day? We’d love to hear about it in the comments below.
