New Years entails an almost euphoric swing of the party scene: dancing, the New Year’s Countdown playlist on Spotify, and ringing in a new year with your friends.

It should be nothing but fun times and contentment but unfortunately New Year’s Eve has a reputation for being a dangerous time: there’s an average of 140 deaths attributed to drunk driving on New Year’s Eve, 70 percent more deaths due to DUIs than any other night of the year.

The statistics themselves should be enough to deter anyone from driving while drunk, or drinking in the first place, especially if you’re underage—but it’s not my job to tell you not to drink. That’s your choice, but I urge you to please be safe and encourage your loved ones to be safe as well because this past New Year’s Eve, the statistics almost became a reality.

My family and I returned from a party with our family friends at about 2 a.m. As we turned into our neighborhood, we expected to be greeted with darkness but surprisingly everything was bright blue and red lights.

One of the stop signs had been knocked over but the car that seemed to be the culprit didn’t even look dented. The cops were talking to the driving outside of his car—he was sitting on the ground. I didn’t recognize him; he probably didn’t live in the neighborhood.

He was in his late twenties or early thirties but he looked young, crouching next to his car with his head in his hands. I don’t even know if the man was drunk or whether the accident happened for some other reason. No one was hurt. In the grand scheme of things there was very little harm done. But it could’ve easily been much, much worse, and I don’t even need to describe it because everyone has seen the movies.

Driving a car is difficult. Driving a car at night is even more difficult. Driving a car with the distractions of bright lights and people cracking fireworks in their driveways is infinitely difficult.

Please don’t make it harder on yourself by drinking.