In Michigan, hundreds of restaurants and bars will be taking part in a campaign that uses QR codes on drink coasters to make it easier for drivers who drink to find a safer alternative to get home than getting behind the wheel.
The campaign was created by the Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) as an element of their drunk driving enforcement campaign for spring. When the barcode on the coaster is scanned, the smartphone app will provide the user with a number of different local cab company options as well as their phone numbers. The OHSP believes that the QR code is designed to be appealing to young adults who are tech-savvy and are more likely to own smartphones than the general adult population.
With the participation of the Michigan Licensed Beverage Association, the QR code coasters have been sent to over 500 members in areas where there is readily available taxi service.
These coasters will be used in conjunction with a broader enforcement effort that will also include the participation of the police in 26 counties in the state, which are cracking down on drunk driving until the end of April 2. It will include county sheriff office deputies, local police department officers, and Michigan State Police troopers.
The additional enforcement – which is the first time that the OHSP has implemented a spring crackdown on drunk driving that will last three weeks – will be supported by federal traffic safety funds. Previous crackdowns have focused specifically on St. Patrick’s Day.
