Virtual Bar: Know When To Get A Ride, Don't Get Behind The Wheel

DENVER (CBS4)- A new website can help party goers know their limits when it comes to knowing whether it's time to get a ride rather than get behind the wheel.

Virtual Bar is a tool to help drivers know when they've had a little too much. Although it's not scientific, the online widget can be a wake-up call about cocktails.

"We want you to use this as a guide," said responsibility.org President & CEO Ralph Blackman.

April is Alcohol Awareness Month and this campaign hopes to cut down on the number of deadly crashes related to drinking and driving.  In 2013, 10,076 people died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, including 6,515 drivers who had a blood alcohol content, or BAC, of .08 or higher and 1,567 passengers who were riding in a vehicle with a driver with a BAC of .08 or higher.

Developed by responsibility.org, Virtual Bar gives a real-time estimate of your BAC, without using a breathalyzer.

Here's how it works: the user puts in gender, weight and height. Then inputs the drink and the amount of time passed to consume the drink. For each drink, the tool calculates the user's specifics, the type of drink and the amount of time passed.

"Most adults know their limits to a point but again, seeing that number really is an eyeopener," said Denver resident Lindsey Unhock.

Virtual Bar is designed to be a guide used to start the conversation about cocktails and how they impact the drinker's ability.