2022 is near – here’s how to celebrate the occasion safely

RAPID CITY, S.D. — As New Year’s Eve approaches, festivities are being planned for a night of fun. However, getting pulled over, or much worse – getting in an accident – is never fun. These risks can be minimized though by including safety in your plans.

As explained by Rapid City Police Department’s Brendyn Medina, a ride home is an essential part of a celebratory evening.

“As the night gets later and the demand increases, the the price of the cabs and rideshare are going to go up. So it’s always good to have that conversation with somebody who might not be celebrating with alcohol, who is willing to come and give you that sober ride home,” Medina suggests. 

New Year’s Eve in particular generates a high risk for accidents related to impaired driving, so police will be taking extra measures to keep drivers and roads safe that evening.

“We’ll have additional officers out on the roads, specifically on the lookout for signs of impaired driving,” Medina says. “If we pull you over and we do deem that you are too impaired to safely operate a motor vehicle, we take a zero-tolerance approach to DUI’s, so you will get a ride to jail.”

Another concern for the evening will be temperatures, which are expected to fall far below zero overnight. Lows are forecasted to be in the negative teens and twenties Friday night into Saturday, so planning for extremely cold weather is also important.