Texas New Year’s Safety: How to Avoid Deadly Holiday Accidents

Hooray! It's another new year on this planet; let's celebrate—safely, of course. Hi, Mr. Buzzkill here, did you know that the end of December sees some of the higher numbers of traffic-related deaths than any other time throughout the year?

Throw in the fact that fireworks send thousands of Americans to the hospital each year, and you've got a prime opportunity to share some safety tips for all partiers.

New Year, Same Traffic Accident Rates

I don't need to repeat the PSAs warning you not to drink and drive, but when Texas ranks among the 10 worst states for New Year's traffic deaths, then something needs to be addressed.

You see, over the 10-year period between 2013 and 2023, there were 280 deaths resulting from car accidents on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day—the highest amount of any state.

64% of these deaths were drivers behind the wheel heading to or from holiday parties, 19% were pedestrians just minding their own business on the sidewalks, and 16% were passengers.

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To stress this point even more, last year's holiday season saw over 2,000 drunk driving-related crashes, placing December 2024 as the month with the most car wrecks in the year.

If you plan on driving on New Year's Eve, either coordinate with a friend to pick you up or stay at their house, or choose not to drive by walking to your destination or staying home altogether.

Who Has One Thumb and Loves Firework Safety?

Finally, we all love fireworks that go boom and make pretty colors in the sky, but it may surprise some people that handling small explosives can actually be dangerous.

According to the American Red Cross, burns on the hands and face are the most common injuries during New Year's Eve when people are too distracted to take safety precautions seriously.

It's recommended that, if you really want to watch fireworks on New Year's, you attend a community-led event where all fireworks are handled at a safe distance by trained professionals.

The Red Cross also includes 15 tips on how to enjoy fireworks safely if you choose to light them up at home. You can see the full list on their website, but some highlights include the following:

Never allow children to handle fireworks
Keep pets indoors at all times
Never point fireworks at people, including sparklers
Keep emergency numbers on standby and always have a bucket of water or a hose ready nearby
Never hold fireworks in your hand or ignite them inside of containers

The new year is a wonderful thing to celebrate. So many possibilities, so many memories just waiting to be made. Just make sure you don't start it in the hospital, that's no fun for anyone, trust me.

40 Outrageous Fireworks Names That Sound Fake, But Are Actually Real

In states where fireworks are legal to purchase, stores have to rely on creative names to entice buyers. It's not like they can just go out and light off a test rocket to show customers.

Here are some of the best fireworks names we found when searching leading industry stores' online inventory.

Gallery Credit: Rob Carroll

How Do Fireworks Get Their Colors?

Besides being a fun fact to impress your friends during the finale, knowing what makes fireworks work is a reminder of just how intertwined our daily lives are with Earth’s natural resources. Some of these minerals are considered critical commodities, meaning they’re vital to modern life and can be difficult to source.

So the next time you see a shimmering white sparkle or a deep red bloom over the Mohawk River, you’ll know: there's real science, and some pretty rare elements behind all that beauty.

It all comes down to chemistry. When fireworks are launched, metallic compounds, also called mineral elements, are heated to really hot temperatures. And as they burn, they emit specific colors of light.

The more complex the mix, the more dazzling the display.

Gallery Credit: Unsplash/TSM