AAA's free 'Tow to Go' program kicks in for St. Patrick's Day
TAMPA, Fla. - St. Patrick's Day, law enforcement will be out in full force, keeping an eye out for drunk drivers. If you're feeling lucky after having a few green beers, it may not be the best time to put it to the test.
Instead, AAA is activating its "Tow to Go" program, which aims to remove impaired drivers from roads and get people home safely on nights when impaired driving may be more likely. The service is available from 6 p.m. Thursday, March 17 to 6 a.m. Monday, March 21.
While the option is available to AAA members – and non-members – the company says it should be a last resort. A tow truck will take the impaired driver home or to a safe location, but it must be within a 10-mile radius. AAA says, due to COVID-19 protocols, service vehicles are limiting passengers to one per vehicle with a face mask or covering. Additional passengers will need to make other arrangements.
The Tow to Go service may not be available in rural areas or during severe weather conditions. The program operates in Florida; Georgia (excluding Savannah); Iowa; Michigan; North Dakota; Nebraska; Tennessee; Wisconsin; Denver; Colorado; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Fort Wayne/South Bend, Indiana.
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The number to call is 855-2-TOW-2-GO, which is 855-286-9246.
AAA reports they have removed more than 25,000 impaired drivers from the road since 1998. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 28 people in the U.S. are killed in drunk-driving crashes every day, which is one person every 52 minutes.