New Year’s Eve is a magical time.
It’s the one night of the year where people who are normally careful, rational, and fully aware of consequences collectively decide:
“Tonight? Tonight, the rules are different.”
They are not.
As a personal injury lawyer, I can tell you that New Year’s Eve is less champagne and confetti and more emergency rooms and incident reports. So in the spirit of celebration – and public safety – here are a few unofficial but highly recommended rules for surviving New Year’s Eve.
Think of this as a survival guide. Or a waiver you didn’t know you were signing.
Rule #1: If It Feels Like a Bad Idea at 10:30 PM, It Will Be a Catastrophe by Midnight
This applies universally.
- Driving “just a few minutes.”
- Lighting fireworks you bought from a guy named “Tony.”
- Trusting the floor after your third drink.
- Saying, “I’ve done this before.”
New Year’s Eve has a way of taking mild poor judgment and accelerating it like a fast-forward button on chaos.
In other words, if your gut says no, listen to it. Your gut has better instincts than drunk confidence.
Rule #2: “I’m Fine to Drive” Is Not a Medical Diagnosis
Every year, someone says it.
Every year, someone believes it.
Every year, someone is wrong.
Alcohol doesn’t just impair reaction time – it impairs self-awareness. Which is why the person least qualified to assess whether they should drive… is the person who wants to drive.
If you need a mental image, imagine New Year’s Eve as the Upside Down from Stranger Things:
Everything looks familiar, but the rules are warped and the monsters are very real.
The safest move?
Rideshare. Designated driver. Couch. Floor. Stranger’s guest room. Literally anywhere but behind the wheel.
Rule #3: Midnight Is Not a Reset Button (Legally or Physically)
This one surprises people.
Just because the clock strikes twelve does not mean:
- The law resets
- Gravity relaxes
- Consequences take the night off
That slip-and-fall still counts.
That crash still matters.
That “it was an accident” still requires paperwork.
The only thing that actually resets at midnight is your phone calendar. Everything else carries over – sometimes with interest.
Rule #4: Fireworks Are Not a Group Activity for People Who Have Been Drinking
Fireworks are fun.
Alcohol is fun.
Together, they are a terrible idea.
Every New Year’s Eve, emergency rooms see injuries that start with:
“Watch this.”
If the instructions include phrases like:
- “Hold it like this”
- “It’ll go that way”
- “It didn’t do that last year”
Please step back. Preferably far back. Possibly indoors.
Rule #5: The Friend Who “Always Goes Too Hard” Will Go Harder
You know the one.
They’re fun.
They’re enthusiastic.
They’re the reason your group chat has a history.
On New Year’s Eve, that energy doubles. Sometimes triples. And often ends with someone saying, “Can you come get us?”
Plan accordingly. Have exits. Have backups. Have patience.
And maybe take their keys early. They’ll forgive you later.
Rule #6: The Goal Is to Remember the Night—Not to Appear in a Story About It
There’s a big difference between:
- “That was a great night”
and - “So here’s what happened…”
One usually ends with laughter.
The other ends with calls to lawyers, insurance companies, or both.
Celebrate. Laugh. Toast the new year.
But don’t try to create a legend.
Legends are expensive.
A Final Thought Before the Countdown
New Year’s Eve should be fun. It should be joyful. It should feel like hope wrapped in noise and glitter.
You don’t need to be reckless to make memories.
You don’t need to tempt fate to have a good time.
And you definitely don’t need to open a portal to chaos just because the ball is dropping.
Have fun. Be smart. Get home safe.
And if the night does go sideways – well, that’s when people like us come in.
Happy New Year. 🎆
Brian Brijbag 