AAA Tow To Go Service Will Take Drunk Holiday Drivers And Their Vehicle Somewhere Safe

GEORGIA — If you’re out celebrating the holidays over the next week and find yourself too inebriated to drive home, what can you do?

AAA will once again be offering its seasonal “Tow to Go” service to help make sure impaired drivers make it home safe.

“It’s just one of the ways we’re trying to make the roads a little safer this holiday season,” AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said.

From 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve, (Friday, Dec. 24) through 6 a.m., Jan. 3, AAA will send a tow truck to take a would-be impaired driver and their vehicle to a safe place within a 10-mile radius of the point where they’re picked up.

“Unfortunately, many people make the mistake of getting behind the wheel while they’re impaired, and sometimes it’s because they just don’t want to leave their vehicle at a bar,” Jenkins said.

U.S. Department of Transportation's national highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that the Christmas and New Year's holiday periods of 2019 had more drunk-driving-related deaths (210) than any other holiday that year.

Tow to Go is available in Georgia by calling 855-2-TOW-2-GO (855-286-9246), but drivers cannot schedule an appointment in advance. This service is free for AAA members as well as non-members, but AAA officials ask that this be used as a backup plan.

“AAA is proud to provide this life-saving program during the holidays,” AAA public affairs director Nick Jarmusz said in a statement. “Yet we still urge people to identify a safe ride home before they party, and treat Tow to Go as their last resort.”

Tow to Go Guidelines

• Provided from 6 p.m. Friday, December 24th – 6 a.m. Monday, January 3rd
• Free and available to AAA members and non-members.
• Confidential local ride for one person and their vehicle to a safe location within a 10 miles radius.
• AAA service vehicles are limiting passengers to one (1) per vehicle, with face mask/covering, in accordance with established COVID-19 safety protocols. Additional passengers need to make other arrangements.
• Appointments cannot be scheduled in advance to use Tow to Go. It is designed as a safety net for those that did not plan ahead. Always choose a designated driver before celebrating.
• In some situations, AAA may need to make other arrangements to get an impaired individual a safe ride home.
• Tow to Go may not be available in rural areas or during severe weather conditions