Blog Home Best Apps to Help You Avoid Driving Drunk in Chicago
In this age of smartphones, software developers have created several savvy apps to help you avoid getting charged with a DUI in Chicago. Here’s the best of the best, and what you can do if you are facing DUI charges.
Best Apps to Prevent a DUI Charge
Several apps help you monitor your drinking habits and call for a ride home. These are our top picks.
DrinkTracker
This app is for iOS users. You enter your age, gender, weight, and height, and the app automatically calculates your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) over time as you log your drinks. It also will help you find a way home if you need it.
One downside? You must remember to keep logging your drinks while you use the app.
AlcoDroid
Android users can track their stats as on AlcoDroid. Both apps allow you to set goals and view your drinking habit charts over time. Unlike DrinkTracker, however, AlcoDroid does not have a maps function for finding your way home.
Have A Plan
This app is developed for a wide range of uses. You can use it to estimate your BAC, play reflex games, call for a taxi, and store names and numbers of people you can call if you have had too much to drink.
ENDUI
This app is for both Android and iOS users. It estimates your BAC as you enter drinks. It also features reflex games to demonstrate alcohol’s effects on the body. ENDUI contains the ability to report drunk driving by others.
Breathometer
This app purports to be more accurate than other BAC estimating apps because it requires the use of an external device. You use the portable breathalyzer to estimate your BAC, and the app provides a timeline for when you will be safe to drive again. You can use the app to call for a ride home or find a nearby hotel.
Alcohoot
Like Breathometer, this app requires an external device. It has sophisticated tracking of data over time, helping you learn more about yourself and your recommended BAC limit. You can also use it to book a ride home.
BreathalEyes
Your eyes can indicate your level of inebriation. This app scans your eyes for horizontal gaze nystagmus, which is what police look for in a sobriety field test. It’s an involuntary movement that occurs when you are affected by alcohol use. The tests have a reasonably reliable track record of estimating your BAC.
Best Apps to Help You Get Home Safely
Some apps are intended to get you home easily when you’ve overdone your drinking. These are the best apps to use in those situations.
Uber
This is a popular app for hiring a driver, especially if you don’t have any cash on hand. You pay for your ride in the app with a credit card or other online services.
SaferRide
This app is known for its simplicity of use. If you are significantly inebriated, you may find more complex apps difficult to use. SaferRide features only three buttons that help you get home. You can find your location, call friends, or call a taxi from the app.
Other Rideshare Apps
You may benefit from other rideshare apps like Lyft for private drivers and Hailo or mytaxi for taxi cab drivers.
If You Are Facing Illinois DUI Charges
Even if you take these precautions, you may still find yourself facing DUI charges. What can you expect?
The first thing you should do when charges are filed against you is call an experienced Illinois DUI attorney. We can help you fight the charges against you, which come with stiff penalties in our state.
If you are convicted for a first-time DUI offense, you will lose your license for up to one year. You could also face up to a year in jail and be forced to pay a fine of up to $2,500. It’s also possible the judge may require you to serve 240 hours of community service, or order you to get an ignition interlock device installed in your vehicle, which prevents you from using it if your BAC is too high.
You can also expect additional consequences for a DUI conviction. Higher insurance rates, possible loss of income, repeated alcohol testing, and a criminal record could all have negative impacts on your freedoms.
By working with an experienced DUI lawyer, you have a much better chance of getting your charges reduced or dropped. Call right away for a free case review. We’ll help you fight your charges.
About the Author:
Andrew M. Weisberg is a former felony prosecutor who now serves as a defense attorney in the greater Chicago area. He has extensive experience in handling all types of criminal cases, from sex offenses and domestic violence to retail theft-related crimes, murder, and drug crimes.
