Driving under the influence of alcohol is incredibly dangerous for both you and other people on the road. When you drive under the influence, your reflexes are severely impaired, which increases your chances of getting into an accident. Since drunk driving is such a serious issue, there are many apps on the market to prevent users from driving under the influence. Here are 10 of the best apps to prevent drunk driving, as recommended by DUI and DWI defense attorneys.
Uber
Ride share services are one of the best ways to avoid drunk driving. Uber makes it easy to get an affordable taxi service through your phone. You just set your pick up and drop off locations, and the nearest driver will come and get you. You can save money on your ride by opting to share it with other passengers, or by being dropped off at an easier pickup point close to your destination. You can also split rides with your friends if you are traveling in a group. If you know you’re going to be drinking, use a ride share service instead of your car to get there.
Lyft
Lyft is another popular ride share service that is very similar to Uber. You set your pickup location and a driver will come to get you. Lyft is known for their friendly customer service, which is why many people prefer them. Like Uber, they give you the option to take shared rides in order to save money. A good strategy is to have both Lyft and Uber on your phone, and price compare to see who can offer the cheapest or fastest rides. Both companies allow you to rate your driver after the ride, which helps ensure that all drivers provide high quality services.
SaferRide
This app has a very simple interface that can help get you home even when you’re highly intoxicated. When you open the app, you’ll see three buttons – ‘Get Taxi’, ‘Call Friend’, and ‘Where Am I?’. The ‘Get Taxi’ button shows you a list of local cab services and allows you to call them directly from the app. The ‘Call Friend’ button makes it easy to access your contacts to get a friend to pick you up. The ‘Where Am I?’ button will give you an address and a graphic detailing where you are on a map, so you can easily tell friends or a cab driver where to come pick you up.
CityMapper
If you live in a big city, public transit is an affordable and safe way to get around when you’ve been drinking. CityMapper is one of the best apps for public transit users. It automatically finds your location, and then you can press on the icon for any nearby bus or train stops to see where the line goes and when the next train or bus is coming. You can also search for public transit directions to a specific location. CityMapper also has a feature that allows you to see nearby cabs, bike rentals, and scooter rentals – although you shouldn’t be biking or riding a scooter after you’ve been drinking!
Breathometer
This app serves as a pocket breathalyzer to help you determine whether or not you’re safe to drive. You’ll need to purchase an external device to use it, which plugs into the audio jack of your phone. The app will then tell you your current blood alcohol content, as well as the amount of time it will take before your blood alcohol content goes back to zero and you’ll be safe to drive again. There’s also a ‘Get Home Safe’ button that allows you to call an Uber, taxi, or a friend for a ride, as well as a ‘Stay Nearby’ button that helps you find hotel rooms if it’s really too far to go home.
Alcohoot
This app is very similar to Breathometer in that it uses an external device to measure your blood alcohol content. You can also use the app to track how you feel as you are drinking, and the app will take that data and give you recommendations about when to stop drinking on future nights out. As with Breathometer, you can integrate with Uber, Lyft, and other taxi apps, and there’s also a function that will recommend nearby restaurants where you can sober up.
StearClear
This app is similar to Uber and Lyft in that it will find you a driver to take you home. However, it sets itself apart by also finding a driver to take your car home. If you’ve driven out to a bar or party and find that you’re not safe to operate the car going back home, this is a great option. You can pay a flat fee to get your car home or pay for your services by the hour. The app also connects with local taxi and black car services if that’s how you would prefer to get home.
DDVIP
This app is currently only for California residents, but it’s a great way to make sure you still have a good time, even if you have to be the designated driver. The app allows you to find restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues that offer deals specifically for those who volunteer to be the designated driver, so you can get free food or non-alcoholic beverages while you’re out. The app also connects with ride share services in case you do end up drinking and need a ride home.
AlcoTrack
This app makes it easy to manually track how much you’ve had to drink. You’ll enter in the drinks you have throughout the night, and it will calculate your estimated blood alcohol content depending on your weight and height. It also allows you to set goals as you cut back on your drinking. There are several other apps that do the same thing, including Drink Tracker, SoberApp, and EnDUI. The potential downside to this is that you may not remember to enter in your drinks when you’re out being social and having fun.
Have A Plan
This app is similar to AlcoTrack and many of the other apps out there that allow you to manually track your drinking. It was developed by the New York state government in order to stop the high volume of DUI and DWIs happening there. Have A Plan allows you to plan your night in advance by creating an itinerary with addresses, directions, and cab reservations if necessary. The app connects with ride share services and public transit maps to help you get home. It also has a feature where you can test your reflexes to see if you are safe to drive. These little games will measure your reaction time to tell you whether or not you should be behind the wheel.
Driving under the influence is incredibly dangerous and you could seriously injure yourself, your passengers, and other drivers on the road. With so many other ways to get home now, there’s no excuse for driving drunk. Download these apps before a night out to track your drinking and ensure you have a safe way to get home.
Featured Image Credit: JESHOOTS-com / Pixabay
