Another great innovation through social media. This actually sounds like a great idea.

Tanya Roscorla of GovTech reports.

Facebook App Connects College Students with Sober Drivers

A Facebook app could help college-age students find sober drivers ahead of time and prevent drunk driving accidents.

The Person Appointed to Stay Sober (P.A.S.S.) app launched on three university campuses this week and is part of a year-long pilot program through the Texas Department of Transportation, which created the app. The department chose the University of North Texas, Midwestern State University and the University of Texas at Brownsville to pilot the app because it wanted a good sample of different sized institutions in various parts of the state.

In Texas, drivers between the ages of 18 and 24 cause the most alcohol-related crashes compared to other age groups. Last year, they were involved in over 7,000 motor vehicle crashes, according to department reports. And their actions had major consequences, with more than 2,000 serious injuries and 231 fatalities.

“Drinking and driving continues to be a serious problem here in Texas,” said Becky Ozuna, spokesperson for the Texas Department of Transportation. “We just continue to see injuries, fatalities and jail time. And the reality is that these are all entirely preventable.”

Over the last few years, the department conducted a P.A.S.S. public relations campaign through public service announcements, fliers and media outreach. But now, it’s going social and working with universities to reach more young adults in this age bracket.

“Social media is a huge part of how college students communicate with each other, so the thinking was, ‘Let’s go to where they already are,'” Ozuna explained. “They’re already using Facebook to plan parties and events.”