However you decide to get around this Labor Day, do it safely and have a good time!

As the first national holiday after the Fourth of July, Labor Day is a long weekend where going to BBQ’s and parties is the norm. However, this often leads to individuals drinking too much and trying to drive home, which leads to tragic accidents or expensive tickets and arrests, costing an individual money they don’t have and giving them a driving record they don’t want.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, “one of the deadliest and most often committed – yet preventable – of crimes (drunk driving), has become a serious safety epidemic in our country.”

Because of the numbers of deaths, injuries and overall accidents due to drunk driving, communities all over the country are launching a “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign during the traditional end of summer holiday of Labor Day. Police departments will be focusing on keeping the roadways safe and free of drunk drivers from the middle of August through the first of September.

In other words, everyone should make plans for a safe ride home over this Labor Day holiday. Going to a party and drinking is something that many people will do over that long weekend and it’s totally acceptable, but only if you are safe about it. Drinking heavily and then having to get into a car and drive is completely unacceptable because, as has been stated by countless law enforcement and designated driving advocates, it’s dangerous for everyone. There are also a number of ways to keep from getting behind the wheel when you have had too much to drink this Labor Day holiday. A few suggestions are:

A designated driver. Having a designated driver is one of the easiest and most cost effective ways to make sure that you drive to a party sober and have a sober driver when you leave. This is a friend who doesn’t drink anything the whole time they are at the party and remains sober until you are all safely back at home. Sometimes these friends can be hard to find on a holiday.

Hire a car. This costs money, but isn’t terribly expensive when it is split among a couple people, depending on how far you are going of course and what type of car service you are using. Taxis are usually relatively expensive, but new services like Uber and Lyft in certain areas make hiring a car and not jumping behind the wheel well worth it, especially when you consider how much a ticket is for DUI or what it will cost if you are in an accident.

Take Public Transportation. This may not be possible depending on where you live, but most metropolitan areas have a train or at least a bus system that can be taken inexpensively to get from your home to the party and back again.