Too drunk to drive? There's an app for that

Drunk driving is nothing to laugh about. Many lives are lost every year, and tonight, New Year's Eve, is particularly dangerous. The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) shares a new iPhone app called "R-U-Buzzed" that claims to help you figure out when you've imbibed too much to drive.

R-U-Buzzed is a free download from the iTunes App Store that works by having users input their weight and what they've had to drink and then the app calculates their Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) and tells them if they've had too much to drink to drive home. If this is the case, they can, with the click of a button, call a cab. And if their iPhone is equipped with GPS, it will even let them know where they are so they can direct the cab where to come to pick them up.

On one hand, this app is useful, especially for the individual profiled by The Wall Street Journal who said she would trust it more than a friend who tried to take away her keys. But on another level, the idea that your iPhone, or any phone, can realistically judge your capacity to operate a motor vehicle is a bit absurd. R-U-Buzzed may be a fun app to show your friends this evening, but the app's accuracy can vary based on what you've eaten and how much sleep you've had, among other factors. You shouldn't trust your life to an iPhone app.

No mention in the article about what happens when you're too drunk to work your iPhone or how much beer you can spill on your iPhone before the app no longer works. In those cases, you should just hand your iPhone over to your designated driver, along with your car keys, and get home safely.

Again, two words: Designated driver.




With the average cost of a DUI at $10,000, not to mention the risk of hurting yourself or someone else, appoint a designated driver tonight and save yourself a whole lot of money and hassle. Remember, there's no app for common sense. Yet.