(NC) -- For those who love to entertain, the holidays are a much-anticipated opportunity to be the gracious host of a great party. Inviting friends and family to a festive night out is a form of giving and a way to show we care. But the tone can turn sour if the host suddenly has to play 'the heavy' when a guest has had too much to drink, especially if that guest is planning to drive.

What does a caring host to do? One solution is to fill your guest list with designated drivers.

As it is with many circumstances in life, prevention is the best remedy. Hosts who want to relax and worry less about consequences at their party can encourage guests ahead of time to volunteer as a designated driver.

By keeping a few basics in mind, hosts can help to ensure a safe and positive experience for everyone – including the designated drivers, as follows:

• Advance planning is key: ask guests to volunteer well before the party;

• Let everyone know you'll serve alcohol-free drinks;

• Ask those who plan to drink to leave their vehicles at home;

• Remind volunteers that a designated driver abstains from alcohol;

• Keep the inconvenience to designated drivers to a minimum by matching them with passengers who live close to their home. Tell them you'll ask someone else to take a turn driving next time;

• Personally thank designated drivers for helping to keep our roads safe.

Taking the time to show appreciation to those who volunteer is especially important. A recent research report by Ipsos Reid, commissioned by Budweiser (called Designated Driving: A New Generation Comes of Age) underscores the fact that recognition of designated drivers is key to encouraging more people to take on the role. Among those surveyed – adults of legal drinking age to 34 years old – the majority agreed that designated drivers don't get enough credit, and 85% agreed that if designated drivers got more credit for what they do, more people would volunteer to be one.

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