Friends Don’t Let Friends Drink And Drive: 8 Smart Ways To Keep Your Friends Safe

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It’s not always easy to convince someone who has been drinking not to get behind the wheel, but if you want to keep your friends around for many years to come, you may need to be the voice of reason for them every so often, and take steps to make sure that they do not drink and drive. One thing to do, while they are sober, is to let them know just how much their insurance rates could be affected by a drinking and driving charge. You can learn more at this website. Here are a few of the things you can do to make sure that your friends arrive alive.

1. Take The Keys

Sometimes, the only thing you can do in order to make sure that someone isn’t drinking and driving is to take their keys and don’t let them have them back until they sober up. You may have to tell a few white lies, such as telling them that you have no idea where their keys are, but it’s better than the alternative. Luckily, when people are drunk, it’s a lot easier to make them believe something like that. One way to get the keys is to say that you are going out for munchies, and ask to borrow the car. Then, keep the keys until they sober up. You may even want to move the vehicle so they can’t find it, just in case they happen to have a spare set of keys.

2. Be A Designated Driver

If you are not at a house party, and you plan on staying sober, offer to be the designated driver for your friends. That way, you will know that everyone gets home safely.

3. Get Them Into A Cab

Once someone gets drinking a bit too much, they can end up annoying everyone else at the party. If you have friends who get to this point, put them into a taxi and send them home. Pay for the fare in advance, just in case they don’t have money on them (or simply can’t find their wallets in their drunken haze), and make sure that they get home safely.

4. Be Assertive

Not everyone is going to be smily-cheery when you try to get their keys or keep them from driving. In fact, they may try to argue with you. Don’t let them win the argument. Stand your ground and be assertive, but remain calm and polite, explaining frequently that you are doing it because you love them and don’t want anything to happen to them. Don’t give in, no matter how much they beg for those keys.

5. Get Help From Friends

Sometimes it takes more than one person to convince someone who has been drinking that they are in no condition to drive. Talk to them, and tell them how much it would hurt if you were to lose them, especially in a way that you could have prevented. Tell them that you can’t live with yourself, knowing that they are drinking and driving and you didn’t try to stop them.

6. Let Them Sleep Over

One of the best ways to ensure your friends’ safety is to have them stay overnight. They can crash for a few hours and sober up before they get behind the wheels of their cars. Offer a delicious meal as an incentive to get them to stay.

7. Take Them In Their Own Car

If your friend is drunk but still wants to go home, another option is for you to take them there in their own vehicle, and have another sober driver follow you so you can get back home.

8. Call The Police

If you are unable to convince your friend not to drive, and they insist on getting into their vehicle, call the police. Your friend may be mad at you for doing it, but at least they will be alive.