Smartphone Apps Designed to Reduce DUI’s
Smartphone apps are being designed to accommodate every possible need of the smartphone user. This craze is even having an effect on the government, who is beginning to take advantage of the ability to provide certain types of programs to users in order to protect them and encourage safety. The departments of transportation in various states have begun to create programs that drivers can utilize in order to help them make better decisions before getting on the road. It is through the use of the smartphone apps that the government hopes to reduce the number of drink drivers on the road. Apps such as Stumble Safely and Taxi Magic are designed to help people get home safely without getting behind the wheel of a car and drive themselves. Stumble Safely helps pedestrians to walk home safely and determines a safe path home while factoring in crime rates, public transportation options, and neighborhood information based on the location of the establishment they are leaving and their final destination. Taxi Magic also helps people get home by dispatching a taxi to their location at the touch of a button. These apps are intended to keep people from driving themselves, providing alternative sources of transportation that are easy to access and utilize. In addition to the alternative methods of transportation, R-U-Buzzed is an app that is specifically designed to help people determine their blood alcohol content before getting behind the wheel of a car. It factors your weight, the number of drinks consumed, the amount of time they were consumed in, and the type of alcohol consumed. Once all of the required data is entered, it returns a message that tells you your blood alcohol content and whether there is “no hangover expected, but any amount of alcohol could impair your ability to drive,” “You’re buzzed! You could be arrested for impaired driving,” or “Don’t even think about it.” These apps all encourage the drinker to designate a sober driver and intended to help people recognize their inability to drive while under the influence.
