New Year's Eve Weekend Tips for Safety

Celebrating New Year's Eve always comes with exciting and festive cheer, but it can become dangerous if you are not careful, and the last place you want to be on New Year's Eve is in the emergency department.

Below are our top safety tips for you this weekend as we welcome 2023.

1) Plan your evening accordingly

A lot can happen on New Year's Eve, and if you are out and about, you must ensure that you and your loved ones are always safe.

If you are going out to an event or a public space, create a buddy system to ensure that you always know where another person is. Always make plans to arrive and leave with a group.

Be sure to share your plans for the night, and communicate your whereabouts if your plans change to your emergency contacts.

Tip: You can use the shared location feature on Namola Plus to track where your loved ones are, and you can request SOS help on their behalf should they need emergency assistance.

2) Be safe on the roads

Do what you need to do to ensure you are getting home safely.

Never get in a vehicle with someone driving under the influence of alcohol. Use transportation services such as a taxi service, Uber, or Bolt, or have a designated driver responsible for you to get home.

3) Ensure you have a fully charged phone or pack a charger for your phone — a portable one may be better if you can't find a charging point.

Always be prepared, as the night can always turn and you may need emergency assistance.

Tip: Ensure your Namola app works by pressing the SOS button and clicking on the test incident.

4) Know your Limits

On New Year's Eve drinking alcohol can be difficult to avoid, but know your limits.

Over-consumption can put you in a dangerous situation by being exposed to violence, being in a state of unconsciousness, being vulnerable to others, or becoming so ill that you need ER assistance.

Tip: Eat a good meal before drinking alcohol.

5) Pop the Champagne carefully

Champagne corks are known to cause injury, and the last thing you want to deal with on New Year's Eve is a broken nose.

6) Leave the Fireworks for the professionals.

Fireworks are known to have an impact on safety. If you choose to celebrate with fireworks, ensure that you follow all the necessary safety protocols and only use them away from people, houses, and flammable material.

Never hold lighted fireworks in your hands.

Never light them indoors.

Never point or throw fireworks at another person.

7) Keep an eye on your children

If your children are young and you are at a party or event, ensure someone is always watching your child. You can do this by implementing a "tag you're it" system.

If your children attend a party or event without you, ensure they communicate any changes in their plans with you. Warn your children about the impacts of alcohol, and remind them to call for help when they feel unsafe. Make sure you have a designated driver who can pick them up should they need emergency assistance.

Tip: You can use the shared location feature on Namola Plus to track where your loved ones are, and you can request SOS help on their behalf should they need emergency assistance.

8) Be careful of spiked drinks

Ensure you keep an eye on those pouring your drinks for you, or if you can - pour your drinks for yourself. Never leave your drink unattended.

Remember, we have made it through another year; and while we are all excited to see what the New Year will bring, we need to be smart, safe, and responsible to kick it off right.

Namola Plus, for as little as R59 per month, will give you access to armed emergency security response and private ambulance services wherever and whenever you need it.

The first month is FREE.

Download it here