People Alcohol Holidays Year's Drive Communities Free Taxi

Some American holidays are "associated with" (connected to) "excessive" (too much) "drinking" (consumption of alcohol). This is especially true for "New Year's Eve" (the evening of December 31st and early in the morning of January 1st), when many people go to parties where there are lots of "alcoholic beverages" (drinks containing alcohol).

Unfortunately, this often "leads to" (causes) "drinking and driving," where people drive a car while they are "intoxicated" (acting strangely because one has had too much alcohol). Some party "hosts" (the people who organize a party) try to "prevent" (not allow) this by collecting everyone's keys when they come to the party, so that people cannot drive home unless the host believes it is safe.

Many communities "take steps" (perform actions; do things) to "curb" (reduce or prevent) instances of "DUI" (driving under the influence; driving while intoxicated). For example, many communities offer free taxi services on New Year's Eve and other holidays. Anyone who has had too much to drink can call a free taxi for a ride home. This is especially common in "college towns" (towns or cities where there are many college students).

Police often set up "checkpoints," or places on the road where all cars must stop. The police speak with the drivers and, if they "suspect" (think something might be true) the driver has had too much to drink, they might "administer" (perform) a "breath test," where they ask the driver to breathe into a small machine that determines how much alcohol is in the individual's "bloodstream" (the flow of blood through one's body). Drivers who fail the test might be "arrested" (taken to jail) or even has their "driver's license" (permission to drive) "revoked" (taken away).