6 Ways To Stay Safe On National Happy Hour Day

Who doesn’t like a great happy hour? There’s nothing better than finding a local bar or restaurant that has a killer happy hour with great food and drink specials. It can really set you up for a fun night out and give you a hot spot to come back to on a regular basis.

Believe it or not, there is a thing called National Happy Hour Day. We were thrilled to discover it. Today is the day and it’s so important to keep the word happy in Happy Hour by making sure that the things you are doing during happy hour are safe and designed to have fun without putting yourself or anyone you know in danger of getting hurt. There are a number of different ways that you could get hurt as the result of a happy hour, but we’re going to focus on how to stay free and clear of a New Haven auto accident while you’re out enjoying yourself.

When you show up to a bar or restaurant today, to celebrate National Happy Hour Day, you are going to want to get a feel for the specials that they are having (fingers crossed you find a place that puts this on the menu even on a Sunday) and then you are going to want to have a few things in mind so that you can enjoy the food and drinks without feeling like you’re at risk of getting injured before, during or after happy hour. We’ll let you take care of picking out the perfect food and drinks to enjoy during happy hour, but let us give you a few ways you can enjoy yourself while also staying safe.

1.) Always buckle up whenever you get behind the wheel of your vehicle. Whether you’re headed out for National Happy Hour Day or just out to the grocery store for another hoe hum day you are going to want to make sure you are buckled up. Wearing a seat belt is one of the best things you can do to keep yourself from getting injured in the event of an accident.

2.) Slow down. Excessive speed always puts you at a greater risk of getting into an accident and just as importantly the faster you are going if you get into an accident the more damage is likely to be done. Drivers who are traveling at just 5 mph over the speed limit are exponentially more likely to get injured or die when driving at an excessive speed. On your way to and from happy hour you will want to keep your speed down.

3.) Don’t overdue it on the food. When appetizers are $5 per plate it can be tempting to tell them to bring one of each over to the table and do a tasting menu, but if you’re not careful you will fill up fast and be aching from all of the delicious food you just sampled. This might be a good thing while you’re at the bar or restaurant, but once you get into the car to go home, you know this food will be sitting in a way that will make you feel drowsy and leave you not as alert as you should be while driving.

4.) Pair your drinks with water. While drinking water while you’re drinking your alcoholic beverages may not be the ideal pairing, it will certainly help you consume less alcohol and balance out the amount of alcohol that is absorbed into your body. This is not to say that you can drink more alcohol because you are pairing it with water, in fact, this safety tip is intended to reduce the amount of alcohol you are drinking because you will be filling up on water at the same time as your alcoholic drinks.

5.) Don’t overdue it on the alcohol. Just like when food is being served at a reduced price, when alcohol is being served at a reduced price it can be tempting to have a few more than you normally would. This can increase your blood alcohol level to a point that is over the legal limit of someone that is getting behind the wheel of a vehicle and this is both illegal and very dangerous. If you decide that you’re really going to go to town on happy hour you should designate a driver.

6.) If you haven’t designated a driver and you weren’t able to eat the food and drink the drinks in moderation your next step should be to grab an Uber or other ride sharing service. These services will get you home safely and while there is a cost to them, the cost will be insignificant in the face of the damage and personal anguish you might face if you either get into a New Haven auto accident or get pulled over and arrested for driving while under the influence of alcohol.

Today is National Happy Hour Day so cheers to you if you’ve tracked down a great local bar or restaurant that has incredible food and drink specials during happy hour. Go out and enjoy yourself, but just keep these steps in the back of your mind so you can keep yourself safe and avoid getting into an accident that could cause you physical or emotional harm or could lead to property damage.

Whenever an injury occurs you may need to speak with someone who has experience with situations like the ones you find yourself in. If this is the case, you can contact our office and one of our attorneys can learn about your situation and work with you to protect your long-term interests.