Saving Lives: Park Your Phone, Earn Bonus Points
Distracted driving is a huge problem in Houston and around the country. The holidays are coming up and school breaks mean there are more young people driving during the day--it's a time of hustle and bustle so it’s more important than ever to focus behind the wheel and not fall victim to distracted driving. That’s where Safe 2 Save, a mobile app that rewards you for not using your phone while driving, comes in.
Marci Corry founded Safe 2 Save in 2016, after hearing a story about a student in College Station who lost his life in a distracted driving accident. Being a mother to young children, Corry decided to jump into action to help improve road safety across Texas roads.
Safe 2 Save aims to reduce the number of distracted driving related accidents. According to Texas Department of Transportation, distracted driving is any activity that takes your attention away from driving. That can mean eating, drinking or putting on makeup, but commonly refers to talking or texting on a cell phone.
In 2018, one in five accidents were caused by distracted driving. That’s just under 96,000 accidents resulting in almost 400 fatalities and more than 2,300 serious injuries.
It’s every driver’s responsibility to pay attention to the road while behind the wheel. There have been many initiatives to curb cell phone use while driving, from parents having children sign a contract to companies terminating employees who use a personal phone while driving. Safe 2 Save has partnered with hundreds of businesses across the state to provide perks to those who leave their phone in their pocket.
Every minute of safe driving over 10 miles per hour earns the user two points. Points can be redeemed for a plethora of rewards like online shopping, casual or upscale dining, desserts, entertainment and more. Drivers won’t need to take a tour of Texas to earn rewards, either. After using the app for a week, we’d earned more than enough points for free appetizers, sandwiches, cups of coffee and plenty more.
Tish Ochoa, co-owner of Melange Creperie in the Heights, proudly partners with Safe 2 Save. “As business owners in a neighborhood populated by families, we feel strongly about encouraging safe driving and being part of the solution for our neighbors. Distracted driving is a big problem in the Heights and the lives of children who walk to the park and to nearby elementary schools are at stake.”
Safe 2 Save doesn’t even require drivers to remember to open the app before driving. If granted permission, it will launch automatically when it detects your speed above 10 miles per hour. It literally couldn’t be easier to be responsible behind the wheel. App users can even invite others to use the app and create competitions between friends, family or co-workers.
Safe 2 Save allows users to connect to Bluetooth, listen to music and utilize GPS apps while still earning points. If other phone use is detected, the app will send a friendly reminder to focus on the road. Being responsible is normally its own reward—we’ll gladly earn treats around the city for doing the right thing.
