Going beyond luck on St. Paddy's Day

St. Patrick’s Day is one of the most celebrated holidays of the year. With green beer flowing, leprechauns leaping and shamrocks hidden around every corner, people enjoy celebrating this March holiday. Unfortunately, though, some people celebrate without a plan to stay safe. That can lead to accidents on the road or other problems after leaving the Irish pubs. Here are some ways to help you stay safe and enjoy the celebrations without worrying about the aftermath of your actions.

Appoint a Designated Driver
This almost goes without saying, but you might be surprised how many people neglect to have a designated driver on a night when everybody else is drinking. If you have a friend that doesn’t drink, there shouldn’t be a problem finding somebody to fill the position. If all of your friends like to drink, you may have a problem. If that’s the case, try bargaining. For instance, the group of friends could offer to take the designated driver out for a night on the town the next weekend to make up for a sober evening. Just remember to have a designated driver for that night out as well!

Give Away Your Keys
After assigning a designated driver and once you're headed out to celebrate, the next step is giving them your car keys BEFORE you start drinking. Alcohol has a way of making some people confrontational and argumentative. Instead of waiting until the end of the night and arguing to convince somebody that you're sober enough to drive, just shed yourself of your keys before the evening even begins.

Carry Cab Fare
When you’re celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with just one or two other people, it’s not fun if one-half or one-third of the group needs to be the sober driver. Set aside enough money so that you can call a cab for all of you to get home safely at the end of the night. Keep the money apart from your drinking money so you don’t accidentally spend the taxi money on drinks.

Ask Ahead of Time
Your loved ones want to keep you safe. Before you go out for a raucous St. Patrick’s Day celebration, ask your parents or friends who are staying in for the night if they’d be willing to pick you up if you become intoxicated. They might be inconvenienced, but most of them would be willing to do this favor if it means keeping you alive.

Travel with a group
People are always looking to take advantage of others. When you’re drunk, some people will take the opportunity to scam you out of your money or, worse yet for women, out of your clothes! Prevent a bad event from happening by going to the bars and parties with a few friends you trust well. It’s not enough to just meet at the place. Drive together to stay safer so no one leaves alone – or in bad company. Remember – there’s safety in numbers.

There’s no reason why you can’t enjoy all the festivities that come with St. Patrick’s Day. It’s meant to be a time to have fun. If you’re feeling the “luck of the Irish” around that time, you can enjoy the day even more if you visit your local Mercedes-Benz dealer and get behind the wheel of a green car. A celebration doesn’t get much more festive than that!

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