Since the advent of smartphones, there has been a wide range of productivity apps designed to help you with tasks in your day-to-day life. But did you know there are apps designed to stop you from getting behind the wheel after drinking and driving? Although they aren’t as effective as a car breathalyzer, Drive Sober apps do provide valuable reminders and are full of essential services designed to keep you from driving under the influence.
Take Drive Sober West Virginia for example – sponsored by the West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program, the app is designed to remind any driver that drinking and driving isn’t worth the risk. It includes a list of companies you can call if you need a sober ride home, DUI laws and penalties, information on car breathalyzers and West Virginia’s ignition interlock program, as well as what a DUI will actually cost you should you be stopped. And to give you a visual idea of what drinking and driving is really like, the app includes a sample of impairment or ‘beer’ goggles you can check out.
Although it sounds like the app is designed into scaring someone into not drinking and driving, apps like Drive Sober West Virginia are actually created to help you keep your safety in mind. In 2012, there were 5654 people arrested for driving under the influence, and 94 alcohol-related fatalities. That’s a lot of people who could have benefited from a reminder to not to drink and drive.
Many different state highway safety programs have created their own version of the Drive Sober app including Wisconsin, Kentucky, and Wyoming, and all are available on the app store. No matter what state you drive in, it’s never a bad idea to have a reminder on your smartphone about the consequences of drinking and driving.