KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As the clock continues to tick closer to 2015, police says there’s still time to make a plan to ensure a safe start to the new year.
Take a cab or designate a driver. Police say those are the two best options you have if you’ll be drinking at all New Year’s Eve. Julie Crooks and her friends do the same things every time they go out.
“We always take cabs or Uber, things like that to make sure no one is drinking and driving. That’s just stupid,” said Crooks.
Sergeant Bill Mahoney with the KCPD Accident Investigation Unit agrees.
“It’s certainly not worth the risk of what might happen to you or a loved one or what you might do to someone else,” explained Sgt. Mahoney.
Sgt. Mahoney has seen his fair share of alcohol related accidents. He’s also talked to drivers who had no idea how much they had to drink.
“It’s amazing how many times you encounter someone who says they had one or two drinks, and then when you give them a breath test they’ve had quite a bit more than that.”
All it takes is one too many and a bad decision to change lives forever. That’s why KCPD and agencies all over the metro will be on the lookout. As for working on New Year’s Eve, Sgt. Mahoney says it depends on what happens.
“It’s usually an exciting time because it’s really busy so there are officers who enjoy that, but as far as the volume of work and the potential for people to get hurt, certainly dread that side of it,” he said.
