© 2024 WLRN
SOUTH FLORIDA
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

St. Patrick's Day revelers can get free rides in Florida and Georgia

A girl pumps her first as another girl drinks.
Stephen B. Morton
/
FR56856 AP
Julie Hensley, center, pumps her fist as her friend Ally Womble, bottom center, drinks a drink while partying in a square during in the St. Patrick's Day parade, Friday, March 17, 2023, in historic downtown Savannah, Ga.

The AAA Auto Club is activating its Tow to Go program for this St. Patrick’s Day weekend. The auto club says partygoers should not press their luck by driving impaired.

The AAA Tow to Go line will be active from 6 p.m. Friday through 6 a.m. Monday.

When a call comes in to (855) 2-TOW-2-GO, a tow truck will be dispatched to transport the would-be impaired driver and their vehicle to a safe location within a 10-mile radius.

The service is free for anyone in Georgia and Florida, and AAA says it should be treated as a last resort. The auto club frequently offers the service on holiday weekends that tend to involve alcohol.

Here's the news release from AAA:

AAA is activating ‘Tow to Go’ for the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day weekend, in hopes that partygoers do not press their luck by driving impaired.

  • Tow to Go is active from 6 p.m. Friday, March 15th to 6 a.m. Monday, March 18th.

How does it work? When someone calls Tow to Go, AAA dispatches a tow truck to transport the would-be impaired driver and their vehicle to a safe location within a 10-mile radius. Since its inception, this life-saving program has removed more than 30,000 impaired drivers from the road. The service is free for anyone, yet AAA asks that it be treated as a last resort.

“We’re proud to be that last line of defense, keeping people from driving impaired,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “We also remain committed to educating the public that it’s important to find a safe ride before drinking alcohol or taking drugs. This is critical so motorists are not in the position of having to decide if they’re sober enough to drive.”

Sobering Statistics: According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), St. Patrick’s Day is one of the deadliest holidays on U.S. roadways. In 2020, more than 11,000 people died in drunk-driving crashes. Those deaths could have been avoided if the impaired drivers found a safe ride home instead of driving drunk. (NHTSA)

TOW TO GO SERVICE AREAS:

FL, GA, IA, MI, ND, NE, TN, WI, CO (Denver), NC (Charlotte), IN (Fort Wayne/South Bend)

PHONE NUMBER: (855) 2-TOW-2-GO or (855) 286-9246

GUIDELINES

  • Provided from 6 p.m. Friday, March 15th to 6 a.m. Monday, March 18th.
  • 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-mile radius.
  • 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.

Copyright 2024 WFSU. To see more, visit WFSU.

Gina Jordan
Gina Jordanis the host of Morning Edition for WFSU News. Gina is a Tallahassee native and graduate of Florida State University. She spent 15 years working in news/talk and country radio in Orlando before becoming a reporter and All Things Considered host for WFSU in 2008. She left after a few years to spend more time with her son, working part-time as the capital reporter/producer for WLRN Public Media in Miami and as a drama teacher at Young Actors Theatre. She also blogged and reported for StateImpact Florida, an NPR education project, and produced podcasts and articles for AVISIAN Publishing. Gina has won awards for features, breaking news coverage, and newscasts from contests including the Associated Press, Green Eyeshade, and Murrow Awards. Gina is on the Florida Associated Press Broadcasters Board of Directors. Gina is thrilled to be back at WFSU! In her free time, she likes to read, travel, and watch her son play football. Follow Gina Jordan on Twitter: @hearyourthought
More On This Topic