Super Bowl Sunday is an annual event that features parties throughout the nation. Some watch the game. Others are more interested in the commercials. The one common denominator that all football fans share seems to be drinking.
When the game clock reaches zero, fans both celebratory and dejected get in their cars to travel home. Many get behind the wheel while under the influence. A high-profile chipmaker is reminding fans of Super Bowl 51 not to drink and drive.
A Bag For Super Bowl Partiers “In The Bag”
In a promotional partnership with Uber and an effort to remove 25,000 cars from the road on Sunday evening, Frito-Lay has designed a limited-edition Party Safe Tostitos bag. The “device” contains a built-in sensor and light-up warning sign. A microcontroller on the bag detects trace amounts of alcohol with a flashing red steering wheel.
While the party gimmick serves as a defacto breathalyzer, the bag is not a legitimate estimator of blood alcohol concentration. However, it does have embedded communication technology where a tap on the bag will request a ride.
The promotion follows the development of a temporary tattoo by researchers at the University of California. The patch analyzes sweat and communicates the data to a smart device to informer the user of their blood alcohol level.
Neither option is foolproof as an effective preventative measure.
Relying on a bag containing a salty snack is a risky bet. When it comes to Tostitos-tech, consumers should not probably put all their chips on the table.