In 2016, nearly half of all drunk drivers involved in fatal crashes were between the ages of 16 and 34. And according to the Pew Research Center, more than 90% of Americans in that age group own a smartphone. Two mobile apps are tapping into those overlapping demographics to target would-be drunk drivers with easier options to find a sober ride home.
“Two Clicks to Save a Life”
The I’M DRUNK app is the creation of Carmen Dellutri and Tom Marquardt, two entrepreneurs determined to eliminate drunk driving and save lives. Their mission is “to change the social mindset of people about going out and being among friends and also about not driving drunk.”
The free app gives smartphone users quick access to taxi, ridesharing, or tow-and-go services anywhere in the country. “You never have to drink and drive or be impaired and drive again. Two clicks to save a life we like to call it,” Marquardt said recently.
The first click activates the app by tapping the “Be Safe” button and the second verifies the user’s location by zip code. The app then lists out transportation options for the user to choose from. Each user represents one less impaired driver on the road.
Mobile Tech Aims to Stop Drunk Driving
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2016, nearly 29 people were killed daily in alcohol-impaired crashes—or almost one person every 50 minutes. In 2015, NHTSA introduced their own mobile app—called SaferRide—to help people who have been drinking find a sober ride home. With SaferRide, users can quickly connect with a taxi or call a friend with a pre-programmed number. And if a user doesn’t know where they are, the app can also pinpoint their current location with a tap of a button.
But, if a potential drunk driver already has a smartphone in hand to call a taxi or ping a ridesharing service, do they really need yet another way to find a safe ride home? Certainly supporters of these apps say yes. Sometimes, as the SaferRide app advertises, “too drunk to drive means too drunk for complicated apps.” As a result, apps like I’M DRUNK and SaferRide offer a simple solution—easy-to-use applications that help people get home alive.
