A new mobile app to stay safe on campus, called BlueLight, is available to students, according to a press release emailed to the Daily Lobo, .
“[It] lets students share locations in real time and pings contacts when they get to their destination,” the release stated. “The app also routes emergency calls based on location and alerts emergency contacts via text.”
A survey conducted by BlueLight shows that mobile access is playing a bigger role in students feeling safe on university campuses nationwide.
According to the survey, 61 percent of females contact family or friends while walking home alone on college campuses, with 66 percent of those letting them know when they’ve arrived at their destination.
The survey states that such mobile communication is rendering blue emergency phone poles outdated, as BlueLight represents “a growing network that currently comprises over 250 campuses nationwide, including many of the country’s largest and most prestigious universities.”
According to a January article in USA Today, “BlueLight places safety into the hands of students. It works intuitively with campuses to ensure that students feel secure in any location.”
The app is currently available on the app store for iPhone and Android users, with no charge to download.