AAA to offer free rides, tows to impaired drivers and their vehicles during holiday

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AAA — The Auto Club Group is again working to reduce drunk driving this Thanksgiving holiday, by activating its Tow to Go program to provide transportation to impaired would-be drivers and their vehicles.

The program will activate at 6 p.m. Wednesday and remain in effect until Monday, Nov. 28 at 6 a.m.

The program, which AAA notes should be used as a last resort, provides a ride and a tow to a single passenger to get them to a safe location within a 10-mile radius of their vehicle’s original location.

Drivers who are impaired and without alternate means of transportation can call 855-2-TOW-2-GO (855-286-9246) to get a ride from a certified tow truck driver.

“AAA is proud to offer this service to help everyone make it home safely this Thanksgiving,” AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said. “Alcohol, drugs and even prescription medications can affect your ability to drive. So don’t put yourself at risk. Find a designated driver or ridesharing program. If you’re tempted to drive impaired, call AAA instead and we’ll get you to a safe location.”

AAA has offered Tow to Go during major holidays for nearly 25 years, removing more than 25,000 impaired drivers from the road.

The service is free for anyone, though AAA asks that it be treated as a last resort.

Nationwide, AAA expects this to be the third-busiest Thanksgiving on the roads in history. Crash data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration finds that during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, from 2016-2020, more than 800 people died in crashes involving a drunk driver.

The service is available throughout Florida, as well as in Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, North Dakota, Nevada, Tennessee, Wisconsin, the Denver area in Colorado, the Charlotte area in North Carolina and the Fort Wayne/South Bend area of Indiana.

Tow to Go is a safety net for those who did not plan ahead and cannot be scheduled in advance. In some situations, AAA may need to make other arrangements for motorists to obtain a safe ride. The service may be unavailable in rural areas or during severe weather.