Halloween falls on a Friday this year which means countless Connecticut residents young and old will be celebrating at costume parties over the weekend. If you are one of the many people who will celebrate with alcohol, it’s important to plan ahead to avoid a DUI, or worse, a drunk driving accident.

While it is Connecticut’s tough laws against drunk driving that discourages many people from driving impaired, the true reason people should not drive after having too much to drink is because a serious or fatal accident could result.

Drivers have an obvious duty to avoid drunk driving but party hosts also have a duty to prevent their guest from drunk driving. In fact, under Connecticut law, “social hosts” can be held liable for injuries caused by an intoxicated guest, and if the guest was under 21, the liability is even greater.

If you plan on celebrating with alcohol next weekend, consider these safety tips from State Farm insurance to prevent drunk driving:

For party-goers:

• Plan a sober ride in advance by designating a driver who will not drink or calling ahead for a taxi. Some taxi services even offer free sober rides on big nights like Halloween.
• Don’t bring your car to the party if it will tempt you to drive home. Instead, take and cab to and from the party.
• Realize that drinking impairs you vision, reaction time and judgment, so driving drunk is not a risk worth taking.

For party hosts:

• Offer beverages other than alcohol as well as food to prevent guests from getting drunk due to an empty stomach.
• Don’t be afraid to take the keys of a driver who is impaired. You are on the hook as well.
• Arrange sober rides for people in advance by calling a cab service or lining up sober drivers.