Tonight is the culmination of the Christmas holidays as revellers head out to close 2014 and usher in 2015.
The weather has turned as a cold snap descended over Malta and that might deter some people from going out to celebrate and ring in the New Year. But still, there will be many who will don their scarves and woolly jumpers to go out and party.
And this is where the crux of this message comes in. The authorities have already warned that bad weather, high winds and lashing rain will hit Malta tonight. That, at the best of times, is a hazard. But when one factors in that people might be drinking and driving, things suddenly become a lot more dangerous.
The message is simple: Do not drink and drive. Nowadays, the message must also be extended to those who might also take drugs - driving under the influence of any substance is a danger. Reaction times are slowed, vision is impaired and judgment - well that completely goes out of the window when people have even had just a couple of drinks.
Nowadays, it is easier. The Public Transport system will be running into the early hours of the morning with trips leaving to all localities from Valletta. For those who do not want to do that, then there is another solution - just take a taxi home. Malta is serviced by a number of taxi companies that work round the clock and charge reasonable prices. If you have had one too many (and that literally means one extra drink), then you should just not drive.
People should also try and make use of the designated driver system whereby one person does not drink and then takes the rest of the group home. Far too many lives are lost and when lives are lost because of drinking and driving, it is even more of a tragedy. When people drink and drive, it is not only their lives which are put in danger, but also the lives of passengers in the vehicle, pedestrians on the road and other motorists who might be completely sober.
And so, we see out 2014 and ring in 2015. It has been a busy year and many things have happened. The 1 January edition of The Malta Independent Daily will be bringing you 2014 in review. We have trawled through all our copies since the beginning of the year to dig up the stories that were of interest - whether good or bad.
We invite you to find your copy on the newsstands. We will not be taking a break over the public holiday and our website will be online and functioning and the papers will hit the shelves as normal throughout the week.
On this final note, we take the opportunity to wish all our readers a very happy new year and a peaceful and prosperous 2015. If you are going out tonight, take the wise decision - do not drink and drive.