A new social network has been launched by Tops at Spar in a bid to reduce instances of drinking and driving in South Africa.
DRYVER is a mobile application and Tops at Spar has taken the new pending liquor legislation into consideration for addressing the issue of drinking and driving with a proactive solution.
The new legislation will enforce a complete ban on liquor advertising in the media, it will outlaw sports sponsorships and a range of other promotional activities.
“We aim to affect positive change… immediately and in the future. We know the effects of drinking and driving and we want to give our customers a solution; making them aware that they have a choice to be responsible,” said Mark Robinson, Tops at Spar’s Group liquor manager.
DRYVER creates a network from the user’s existing contact list on their mobiles and is “tipsy friendly” so users can successfully organise a lift home with the with the push of a single button.
The application also features the “Rescue Me” option, which was created to be activated if the user is too inebriated to contact a friend directly.
After this option is activated DRYVER sends an SOS message containing the users location to all the registered contacts on the user’s list.
Should all the previous options fail, DRYVER’s taxi service will allow the user to locate a taxi within the area the user is in.
Furthermore, DRYVER is equipped with geo-location and networking and is also available for Android, Apple, Blackberry and Windows smartphones.
Robinson added: “Drinking and driving is a serious issue in our country and we feel strongly about playing our part in finding solutions to the problem. By delivering our message in a practical, fun way, that includes a call to action, we believe we are taking our responsibility seriously.”
