Sometimes, a good dose of reality can help you make a better decision – especially when it’s the reality that you’re too drunk to beat a simple memory game.
The state of Maryland is looking to crack down on DUIs with the help of a new app. It’s called ENDUI, and it’s free on both iOS and Android. The app was federally funded.
“I think states are starting to go that route because they’re trying to reach consumers where they are and where they spend time, and everyone spends time on their phone,” Kara Macek, a spokeswoman at the Governors Highway Safety Association, told the AP. “I think we’re going to see more of that as we go forward.” A few other states are getting in on the app strategy, including Colorado, New York, and California.
The app lets users report drunk drivers, call designated drivers, find taxis and other public transportation, and offers facts about DUI and a set of informational videos.
But the interesting thing about the app is that it attempts to help make your decision not to drink and drive a lot easier.
First, it offers a Blood Alcohol Content guesstimator, which uses a user’s height, weight, and sex to determine their estimated BAC after a certain number of drinks in a certain time frame.
And the app also has a few simple games – one to test reaction time and another to test memory.
The app is careful to warn people that the skill tests are “for information usage only and are not legal sobriety tests and should not be considered as permission to drink and drive.”
When you can’t remember a simple sequence or you’re having a hard time tapping your phone fast enough to avoid a virtual wreck, you’ve probably has too much. Maybe an app like this can prevent one person from getting behind the wheel which intoxicated – and if it can do that then it was worth the $50,000 it cost to make it.
Image via ENDUI, iTunes
