For Immediate Release:
February 2017
Contact:
Tim Weisberg
OTS Marketing and Public Affairs
timothy.weisberg@ots.ca.gov
(916) 509-3020
California Office of Traffic Safety’s DDVIP Mobile App
Chosen as “Bright Idea” by Harvard University
Sacramento, Calif., –The Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, has recognized the California Office of Traffic Safety’s Designated Driver VIP (DDVIP) app as part of its 2017 Bright Ideas program. This year’s cohort includes programs from all levels of government — school districts, county, city, state, federal agencies, and tribal nations, as well as public-private partnerships — that represent the next horizon in government work to improve services, solve problems, and work on behalf of citizens.
“We are thrilled to receive this prestigious recognition,” said Rhonda Craft, director of the California Office of Traffic Safety. “Our DDVIP app aims to save lives by rewarding and encouraging the use of designated sober drivers and any light we can shed on this great program aids in that effort.”
The app, with over 37,000 downloads in California to-date, is unique, both among other designated driver or antiDUI apps and among those produced by a government agency. Launched in 2014, the DDVIP app is available for free download on iOS and Android devices. The GPS-enabled DDVIP app highlights nearby bars and restaurants that feature incentives for the designated sober driver, from free non-alcoholic drinks to free appetizers and more. The feature-packed app even has social media tie-ins and a tab for the non-DD to call Uber, Lyft or Curb.
“Bright Idea honorees demonstrate that there are no prerequisites for doing the good work of governing,” Stephen Goldsmith, director of the Innovations in American Government Program at the Ash Center, said in a statement. “Small towns and massive cities, huge federal agencies and local school districts, large budgets or no budgets at all — what makes government work best is the drive to do better, and this group proves that drive can be found anywhere.”
For consideration as a Bright Idea, programs must currently be in operation or in the process of launching, have sufficient operational resources, and must be administered by one or more governmental entities. Nonprofit, private sector, and union initiatives are eligible if operating in partnership with a governmental organization. Bright Ideas are showcased on the Ash Center’s Government Innovators Network, an online platform for practitioners and policymakers to share innovative public policy solutions.
For more information about the California Office of Traffic Safety, visit www.ots.ca.gov. Follow the DDVIP program on Twitter at @DDvipCA or find us on Instagram at DDvipCA.
