Before you go out celebrating this evening, you may want to consider downloading an app for your iPhone or Android in order to prevent you or your friends from getting behind the wheel of a vehicle after welcoming the New Year with a few glasses of champagne.
As we discussed earlier this week on our Athens, Georgia, DUI law blog, a drunk driving arrest can have serious consequences, such as temporarily losing one’s license up to one year, even if an individual is never convicted of DUI. And with more people going out to celebrate New Year’s Eve this weekend, Georgia police are preparing to make more stops in order crack down on drunk drivers and to prevent serious or fatal accidents caused by drunk drivers.
In order to prevent a DUI arrest this holiday weekend, Georgia residents can take certain precautions to make sure that they do not get behind the wheel of a vehicle if they have been drinking.
Over the past couple of weeks, we have discussed the importance of designating a sober driver. But when friends are out celebrating together, a driver could be tempted to have a couple beers. Instead of taking one’s chances this weekend or allowing a friend to drive after drinking, partygoers may be able to use a phone app to help them easily find a sober ride home.
On Monday, the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety announced that a new app called “Drive Sober Georgia,” will be available for iPhone and Android users to download for free. Partygoers can then use the app to find services in the area that will be providing free sober rides for those who plan on drinking on New Year’s Eve.
The GOHS hopes that the “Drive Sober Georgia,” app not only reminds residents to make smart choices after having a few glasses of champagne, but the office also hopes that people will use the services in order to prevent traffic fatalities caused my impaired drivers over the holiday weekend. According to the most recent statistics published this month, the total number of deaths caused by all types of traffic accidents across the state is 1,244, which is at least 60 fewer deaths compared to last year.
Source: Gainesville Times, “Road safety office aims to prevent drunken driving with new app,” Ashley Fielding, Dec. 26, 2011