Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog
When you picture your stereotypical drunk driver, you may imagine someone who indiscriminately goes out drinking, stumbles into the car and drives home without a care about the risk he is taking.
While there are certainly some drivers who fall into this group, there are also a lot of people who want to make responsible decisions but who make the tragic mistake of having one too many drinks and driving home because they don’t realize they are drunk.
Now, a California-based start-up company is aiming to tackle this problem by arming people with the information they need. According to MSN Autos, the California company has developed a product called the Breathometer. Our Palm Beach accident attorneys know that this device is intended to allow you to use your smartphone to check your blood-alcohol content on the go.
Smartphone App Could Save Lives
The Breathometer combines an app with a small device that hooks up to your smartphone by using the headphone jack on the phone. The app and device will work with both Apple and Android products.
When you have hooked the device up to your phone, you can blow into it just as you blow into any type of breathalyzer. The data will be transmitted to the app on your phone and you can use the app to see what your blood alcohol content is. You can thus see immediately if you are at the .08 limit, close to the limit or over the limit.
Based on your BAC, you will have an objective way to make a determination about whether it is safe to drive home. If you are close to the limit or over the limit, then you will know it is not safe for you to get behind the wheel. You can then use your smartphone to call a cab company or find another way home. The app will even make it easier for you to do that by providing you with information on local transportation providers.
The app is not yet available for purchase but is in development and hopefully will be soon. The California start-up company is seeking approval from the Food and Drug Administration and is trying to secure crowd source funding to bring the product to market by offering a guarantee of a Breathometer in exchange for a pledge.
Should You Use a Smartphone App To Test Your BAC?
Those who make a pledge of $20 to the company will be entitled to a Breathometer product when the device comes out, which makes the BAC tester an affordable solution. The device will also offer you convenience since chances are you probably already take your smart phone with you when you go out. The small investment that you’ll make to buy the device could thus help to save your life some day.
There are also other devices on the market that serve a similar purpose, however, so you don’t necessarily need this particular product in order to have a way to avoid driving drunk. For around $30 or less, you can purchase a device that hooks right onto your keychain to test your BAC.
The Breathometer and other BAC testers can help you to avoid becoming the victim of a drunk driving crash and help you to avoid hurting others. The small price of the device is well worth the benefits of potentially saving a life.
If you or someone in your family has been injured or killed in a car accident, contact Freeman, Mallard, Sharp, & Gonzalez at 1-800-561-7777 for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights.