Getting Home Safely

Driving home in the morning after staying awake all night partying can be dangerous. Below are some suggestions of how to reduce your risk of getting into a car accident.

Definite Don'ts

• Don't drive if you have been drinking alcohol. Alcohol lowers your reaction time and inhibits motor functioning.
• Don't drive if you have been using ketamine, GHB, LSD, mushrooms, ecstasy, speed or any other strong psychoactive drug. Even if you have "come down" and think you are fine to drive, these drugs all have residual effects that can impair your driving ability. Even ecstasy and speed, which can make you feel more alert, are dangerous to drive on. These drugs especially can take a lot out of you and make you tired after you come down. It is always better to get a good night's sleep before attempting to drive after using them.
• Don't drive if you are too tired or sleepy. If you are feeling sleepy, you may be thinking only about getting home and into bed. However, it is dangerous to drive in this condition. (Note: coffee may keep you awake, but it won't improve your driving ability if you are significantly tired or sleepy.)

Ways to prevent getting into a potentially dangerous driving situation

• Assign a "designated driver" who agrees to stay sober the entire night and to not exhaust themselves dancing for too long.
• Leave the party or rave before you get too tired or sleepy to drive. It's safer to show up early and leave earlier than to show up late and leave later. Know your body's limits.
• Take the bus. If you know you are going to stay all night, some raves end late enough in the morning that public transportation systems may be running.
• Take a cab. Compared to the price of some raves, and definitely some drugs, cab fare is a relatively minor expense for the safety it provides. Plan to share a cab with others to spread out the costs. Also, think of the great conversations you can get into with the driver.

If you find yourself in a potentially dangerous driving situation

• Have someone else drive the car who has been sober the whole night or is more rested than you.
• Take a bus or a cab and come back later to get your car.
• Go home with someone else and come back later to get your car.
• Make sure somebody stays awake along with the driver and keeps conversation going. Have this person sit in the front passenger seat. Talking to a sleepy driver helps keep them awake and alert.
• When all else fails, lock your doors and sleep in your car! (Keep in mind, however, that in some states even having your keys in the ignition constitutes drunken driving. If you are intoxicated, you may want to hide your keys in the tire well or under the hood, so it is clear to any police officer who may approach you that you were never driving in that condition.)