Plan ahead to stay safe behind the wheel celebrating the New Year

We’ve talked about ways to stay safe tonight among the New Year’s Eve celebrations that ring in a new decade — being careful around fireworks (or staying away from them, letting pyrotechnics experts handle them) and not firing guns into the air.

Now, here’s a plea to make responsible choices tonight around a different weapon — a 3,000-pound vehicle.

Designate a sober driver or be prepared to call a taxi or ride-share service before you start celebrating tonight, if that reveling includes drinking alcohol.

Ride-sharing app services (think Uber and Lyft) will offer discounts in some areas tonight, and AAA, as in years past, will offer its “Tow To Go” program through 6 a.m. Thursday. To use its Holiday Safe Ride Program, call (855) 2-TOW-2-GO or (855) 286-9246. Click here for more info.

Here’s to keeping the streets of Osceola safe tonight and every night to come in the new decade!