As the Super Bowl draws near, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is preparing an initiative to make driving safer. The department is expecting ice on roadways throughout southeast Texas and are currently monitoring more than 1,000 bridges to watch for forming ice. Maintenance Director, Jack Moser, says that de-icing measures cannot be started because the materials will be pushed away by motorists before the ice hits. Because the TxDOT can’t be everywhere at once, they are lauching a new campaign to help get people home safely using QR codes.
Dubbed Ride Finder, the department is advertising the service through TV, radio, print, and billboard ads. QR codes are used with all the ads and scanning the code brings users to the Ride Finder mobile website. The site is a database of local cab companies, but it also lets users connect with their friends to ask for rides.
Ride Finder is meant to prevent drunk driving. With the jubilation surrounding the Super Bowl the department is hoping the use of QR codes will draw attention to the service and enable inebriated citizens to easily procure a ride rather than drive themselves.
The TxDOT is suggesting that travel be kept to a minimum when ice appears.
Some are skeptical that the program will have any benefit as QR codes do nothing on their own if not scanned. Anyone even mildly tipsy may ignore the code and go about their business, but the department sure that their early deployment of this campaign will keep it fresh in everyone’s mind.
