New Year’s Eve and Driving – Does It Mix?

New Year’s Is upon Us – Are You Prepared?

Every year, drunk driving accidents are reported even though we have many ways of steering clear of a bad situation. There are the DDs (designated drivers) and the Ubers. So why is it that our society still reports drunk driving deaths? Convenience.

There’s a new app just for the convenience-demanding drinker. The app for Android and iPhones was unveiled in mid-December by the National Highway Highway Traffic Administration, said José Alberto Uclés, a NHTSA spokesman.

NHTSA is constantly brainstorming new ways to keep the public safe and to keep up with technology,” he said. “The idea was born out of one of those brainstorming sessions.”

The app’s “Let’s Get you home” screen has three big red buttons – get taxi, call friend and “where am I.” GPS tells you where you are, so you can tell the cab company or friend where to collect you from.

Tracy Noble, a spokeswoman for AAA said, “We’re encouraging anyone with the capability to use the app to do so and to get them off the road,” Noble said. “This is one of the most deadly times of year. Hopefully it will keep impaired individuals off the road.”

Even though drunk driving deaths shows a decline by 2.5 percent in 2013, there is still a significant number of deaths each year. It’s estimated that 10,076 people died in crashes involving a drunk driver in 2013—one death every 52 minutes.

Don’t end up on the wrong side of the law or lawyers.

What will you do this year to make sure you and your loved ones stay safe?