Staying safe and out of trouble this New Year’s Eve

New Year’s Eve is a night for saying good-bye to the old and hello to the new. New Year’s Eve celebrations can also get a little out of hand.

“The biggest thing that we recommend is plan for a safe way home so that you don’t get behind the wheel when you shouldn’t be behind the wheel,” Sgt. Bryan Lovell with the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, said.

On a night when many may be out celebrating, the sheriff’s office asks that you make a plan to get home safely.

“There’s so many options to make sure that you can get yourself home safely,” Sgt. Lovell said. “There’s cabs, and Uber and friends and things like that.”

There will be a higher amount of law enforcement patrolling the streets, roads and highways, looking for dangerous drivers.

“Right now we’re in a period of time where there’s some extra patrols out looking for impaired drivers and drunk driving and aggressive driving,” Sgt. Lovell said. “You have a very high chance of ending up in jail or in a crash, hurting yourself or other people.”

Many people also like to light off fireworks to celebrate the New Year. Aerial fireworks are illegal to use without a permit, but if you do choose to light them off, be careful where you are doing so.

“We just ask people that if they’re going to be doing that to make sure they’re obeying the law, they’re being safe about it,” Sgt. Lovell said. “Even though there’s snow on the ground and it’s very wet outside, there’s still a chance that you can light someone else’s property on fire or their house on fire.”

Overall, Sgt. Lovell asks that people have a plan and are safe this New Year’s Eve.

“Be responsible,” he said. “Don’t drink and drive, don’t drive buzzed, wear your seatbelt, drive careful and have patience.”