Super Bowl XLVII is just days away, which means many folks in Athens are probably making plans to attend parties or hit up the bars in order to watch the game this Sunday.
When having a good time hanging out with friends, watching football and eating salty snacks, it’s easy for folks to drink more alcohol than what they initially planned. For this reason, the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety is encouraging residents in Georgia to download an important smartphone app before the game starts on Sunday. The app is called “Drive Sober, Georgia,” and it offers a list of transportation services that offer free rides during major holidays and events in order to prevent drunk driving.
By reminding folks that it is illegal and dangerous to drive drunk, and by informing the public about the smartphone app, authorities hope to prevent more folks from driving drunk after the big football game this weekend. In addition to getting the word out about the free app, authorities said that they will also have extra patrols on the roads in Georgia this weekend in order to arrest drunk drivers.
The free app has been used since 2011. However, officials from the GOHS reported that free transportation services have now been extended to more cities in Georgia. Athens is now one of the cities that has been added to the app. Folks who plan on drinking this weekend while watching the game should consider downloading the app while they are still sober so that they know who to contact when they are ready to go home.
Whether folks choose to download the app or not, the best way to avoid a DUI arrest this weekend is to avoid driving after drinking. If folks plan on drinking, they should make sure they designate a sober driver before they have their first alcoholic beverage.
Source: WTVM, “GOHS launches revamped smartphone app to keep drunk drivers off the roads,” Jan. 24, 2013