While staying safe on the road must be a high priority for New Year's Eve revelers, it's certainly not the only safety issue that you may confront as you ring in the New Year. However, with a little care and foresight, you can protect yourself from some of the more common New Year's risks. Follow the tips below, and your biggest challenge on New Year's Eve may be remembering all the words to "Auld Lang Syne."
Partying Ensure you have a designated driver for the night . . . even better, make arrangements to stay where you are celebrating New Years Eve. You may be in fine condition, but you dont know about the driver next to you or around the corner.
Champagne Corks - You can avoid eye injuries and broken windows if you follow the advice of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and remember the number 45. That is, you should chill your champagne to at least 45°F, as this will make the cork less likely to pop out unexpectedly, and you should hold the bottle at a 45-degree angle, pointing it away from yourself and others. Then, after removing the wire hood, place a towel over the top of the bottle and grasp the cork. With the bottle in one hand, slowly twist the cork, applying gentle upward pressure. When you feel the cork about to pop out, reverse pressure to a slight downward tilt. If all goes well, you'll have a cork in one hand, a full bottle in the other, and no injuries in sight.
Fireworks - When it comes to explosives, follow the same rules on New Year's Eve that you would any other time of the year: Leave it to the experts. The best way to enjoy fireworks is to watch a public exhibition from a safe distance. If you feel you must light your own fireworks never allow children to handle or light any kind of fireworks.
Firearms It is a tradition for some to shoot firearms up in the air. This is a very bad idea, especially in populated areas as what goes up, must come down. In 2002 for example, a 9-year-old boy was killed while celebrating Independence Day in Buena Park near Los Angeles from a stray bullet shot into the air.
Have a Safe New Year!
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