TAMPA, Fla. — For anyone who finds themselves unable to drive after a couple of drinks during Thanksgiving dinner, there is a safe way to get home.
The American Automobile Association's (AAA) "Tow to Go" is making a return just in time for the holiday to help keep impaired drivers off the road.
The free service has been around since 1998 and has reportedly kept more than 25,000 cars off the road.
"Tow to Go" is available from 6 p.m. Wednesday until 6 a.m. Monday in select locations. No appointments can be scheduled in advance.
This backup plan for drivers uses a tow truck to transport the "would-be" impaired driver and their car to a safe place within a 10-mile radius, AAA says.
“AAA is proud to bring back this life-saving program this Thanksgiving,” AAA-The Auto Club Group spokesman Mark Jenkins said in a statement. “Now as millions of Americans get behind the wheel this holiday weekend, none of them will have an excuse for driving impaired."
People living in Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, North Dakota, Nebraska, Tennessee and Wisconsin wanting to use the service can call 855-286-9246. Also, residents living in Denver, CO, Charlotte, NC and Fort Wayne/South Bend, IN can use the service as well.
In 2019, there were 10,142 deaths in car crashes that involved impaired drivers, according to national data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Out of that number, 417 happened during the Thanksgiving holiday.
"...We still strongly encourage people to plan ahead and identify a safe ride home, and treat Tow to Go as their last resort,” Jenkins said.
