October 08, 2026, Durham, NC – Fall brings plenty of reasons to celebrate. Homecoming dances, football games, tailgates, watch parties, and other gatherings bring teens, college students, families, and communities together. As people make plans for where they are going and who they will be with, there is another plan worth making ahead of time: How will everyone get home safely?

Driving risks can increase when celebrations run late or involve alcohol or other substances. For young drivers in particular, the trip home may combine several risks at once, including limited driving experience, nighttime driving, fatigue, distractions, and other young passengers. Alcohol and other substances add another serious risk. Even small amounts of alcohol, cannabis, and some prescription drugs can impair a teen’s driving ability.

These risks are especially relevant during homecoming season, when celebrations can extend beyond the football game or dance.

To protect themselves and others on the road, young people need practical strategies for what to do when they find themselves in a risky situation. It is easy to say, “Don’t drink and drive,” but the decision can become much more complicated when it is late at night, plans have changed, a friend who was supposed to drive has been drinking, or someone is worried about getting in trouble for calling a parent. That is why planning before the celebration matters.

Make a Plan Before You Need One

Knowing how you will get home before heading out can take some of the pressure out of making a decision in the moment. A safe transportation plan might mean choosing a designated driver, arranging for a trusted adult to provide a ride, using a rideshare or taxi where appropriate, staying overnight in a safe location, or having a backup plan if the original ride falls through. Arranging a safe ride or trusted designated driver ahead of time is a safer option than waiting until after alcohol or other substances have been used to figure it out.

iRT’s Plan My Ride program was designed around this idea: helping young people think ahead and make a plan for getting home safely before they are faced with a risky driving decision. Designed with and for young drivers, the interactive, web-based Plan My Ride program goes beyond simply teaching the risks. Through online lessons and realistic 360-degree scenarios, young people practice skills like planning ahead, communicating with others, establishing safe driving habits, and avoiding substance use so they are better prepared to make safe choices when real-life situations arise.

The goal is not simply to tell young people what they should not do. Instead, this prevention program gives them concrete strategies for what they can do instead when a ride becomes unsafe.

Keep Fall Celebrations Safe

Homecoming games, dances, football weekends, and tailgates should end with everyone getting home safely. This fall, schools, families, colleges, and community organizations can use the excitement surrounding these events as an opportunity to talk about safe driving and encourage young people to make their transportation plan part of their plans for the night.

Explore these resources for safer fall celebrations: