TAMPA, Fla. — Flying back home for the holidays can be one of the most hectic parts of the year. But once you get to your hometown, it can be smooth sailing, or driving, from there on out. That is, as long as drinks aren't involved on the road.
Just in time for Christmas and New Year's, AAA is reintroducing its "Tow to Go" roadside service. To keep people safe from drinking and driving, a tow truck can be called to take you and your car anywhere within a 10-mile radius.
This completely free program is available for both AAA members and non-members. People who have had a little too much to drink can call 855-2-TOW-2-GO or 855-286-9246.
The "Tow to Go" service starts at 6 p.m. on December 24 and lasts through January 3. AAA says the program has helped take 25,000 impaired drivers off the road over the past decade since it's been introduced.
"Driving impaired doesn’t only endanger yourself, but risks the lives of all the adults and children you share the road with," Mark Jenkins, an AAA spokesman, said in a statement.
"AAA is proud to provide this life-saving program during the holidays. Yet we still urge people to identify a safe ride home before they party, and treat 'Tow to Go' as their last resort."
To protect both the driver and the AAA towing service provider from contracting COVID-19, the auto club group is limiting passengers to one person per tow truck. Both the driver and passenger are asked to wear a face mask or face covering.
The truck will be sanitized before and after each service call and the tow truck windows will be lowered to improve air filtration.
Because "Tow to Go" should be used as a last resort for people who did not plan a designated driver ahead of time, appointments cannot be scheduled in advance. Severe weather conditions may also impact service availability.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 210 impaired driving-related fatalities during the 2019 Christmas and New Year's holidays. That's more than any other holiday period in the U.S. that year.