While QR codes have been around for nearly 30 years, the black-and-white patterned squares are seeing a strong resurgence in the COVID-19 era. As businesses and nonprofits like Hunter’s Fund adjust to CDC standards and state-mandated social distancing guidelines, QR codes are powering a new era of touchless commerce and communication across the globe. 

Short for Quick Response Codes, QR codes are machine-readable codes consisting of black and white squares and are typically used for storing web links that are then read by the camera on a smartphone.

The codes enable the instant spread of information without physical contact and allow links to be seamlessly shared and accessed by anyone with a smartphone. 

In the wake of COVID-19, restaurants are adopting QR codes in place of paper menus, public transportation systems are using them for touch-free ticket fare, and nonprofits like the Hunter Watson Memorial Fund are pivoting to QR codes to spread educational and promotional materials. 

After Hunter Brooks Watson was killed in an accident involving a distracted driver, Hunter’s Fund championed the cause of ending distracted driving through encouraging students and young adults to sign pledge cards vowing not to drive distracted. 

Typically, the pledge cards are distributed on college campuses at tabling events, where organizers set up a table in a widely populated area of campus, staff it with rotating shifts of volunteers, and encourage students to gather and sign paper pledge-cards to receive educational materials. In 2019, 800 volunteers staffed tables on more than 30 campuses to encourage 18,000 classmates to sign Hunter’s Pledge to End Distracted Driving. 

But with campuses enforcing social distancing and banning on-campus events in hopes of quelling COVID-19, tabling events are no longer a realistic option for the Fall 2020 semester. 

This fall, students at colleges and universities across the country will find QR-code posters for spread out across campus- in hallways, on bulletin boards, and in high-traffic areas - allowing students to point their phone, sign virtual pledge forms, and learn about Hunter’s Fund while on the go. 

By replacing paper pledge cards and tabling events with QR code posters, Hunter’s Fund hopes to expand the organization’s reach and enable more students to safely sign the pledge and change their driving habits.

Studies show that signing a pledge can change behavior by 47 percent. And while COVID-19 is upending millions of lives across the world, Hunter’s Fund is continuing the work of ending distracted driving and preventable deaths. 

To scan a Hunter’s Pledge QR code: 

1. Open the camera app on an iPhone or Android. 

2. Position the camera to so that the QR code is focused and in view 

3. Click the notification link associated with the QR code 

4. Fill out the pledge form 

5. Share on social media and encourage your friends to sign to save lives 

Editor

Hunter’s Fund