ATLANTA — More than 103 million Americans will travel for the year-end holidays including a record number by car (93.6 million). When you add the accompanying holiday celebrations, that record number of motorists will face an increased threat of impaired driving this week. AAA and Budweiser urge everyone to plan ahead if they will be celebrating with alcohol. This means choosing a designated driver, calling a cab, staying where you are celebrating or finding another safe way home like the Tow to Go program. If you are hosting a holiday party, please do so responsibly. Check out the Great Pretenders Party Guide from the Auto Club Group Traffic Safety Foundation to learn more.
“This next week is usually the busiest time of the year for Tow to Go, but it doesn’t have to be,” said Amy Stracke, Managing Director, Traffic Safety Advocacy for AAA – The Auto Club Group and executive director of the ACG Traffic Safety Foundation. “Please plan ahead to make sure you and your loved ones get home safely.”
For those that don’t plan ahead, Tow to Go will be there to provide a safe way home. AAA members and non-members can call for a Tow to Go ride anytime through 6:00 a.m. on Jan. 1. AAA will then safely transport them and their vehicle home or somewhere safe within 10 miles.
“The Tow to Go program is an effective way to promote the use of Designated Drivers and help prevent impaired driving,” said Katja Zastrow, vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility for Anheuser-Busch. “We are proud to partner with AAA and their roadside assistance drivers to help keep our roads safe.”
Since its inception in 1998, Tow to Go has safely removed more than 24,000 impaired drivers from roads across the Southeast. It is designed to be a safety net for motorists who did not plan ahead when drinking away from home on celebratory holidays. It is offered based on the availability of AAA drivers and tow trucks during times of high call volume. The Auto Club Group Traffic Safety Foundation provides Tow to Go to help keep all motorists safe from the dangers of impaired driving.
Tow to Go Guidelines:
• Confidential local ride within a 10-mile radius to a safe location
• The AAA tow truck takes the vehicle and the driver home
• Free and available to both AAA members and non-members
• Tow to Go is provided in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and Nebraska (Omaha and Lincoln only)
Anheuser-Busch Wholesalers have been cosponsors of the program since its inception in 1998. Not only has the company provided funding for the service, it has also worked with local bars and restaurants throughout Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee to help educate servers on the importance of not over-serving their customers.