AAA is offering a free tow service on Halloween night for
drivers to get home safely instead of getting behind the wheel
drunk, according to a press release from the agency.
AAA is offering a free tow service on Halloween night for drivers to get home safely instead of getting behind the wheel drunk, according to a press release from the agency. The “Tipsy Tow” program is available to any driver, even if you are not a AAA member.
The service will be available starting at 6 p.m. Saturday and will continue until 6 a.m. Sunday. Drivers, potential passengers, party hosts, bartenders and restaurant managers can call (800) 222-4357 for a free tow of up to five miles. All you need to tell the operator is, “I need a Tipsy Tow,” and a truck will be on the way.
The service will provide a one-way ride for the driver and vehicle to the driver’s home. If there are any passengers who need a ride, they will be taken to the driver’s home as long as there is sufficient room for them to be transported safely in the tow truck. Reservations for this service cannot be made.
According to the California Department of Justice, 647 drivers were arrested for driving under the influence on Halloween last year. In addition, the California Highway Patrol says there were 171 alcohol-related crashes. Six people died in those crashes and 95 people were injured. The CHP expects that with Halloween falling on a weekend this year, those statistics could rise.
Each year, drunk-driving crashes account for about 60 percent of highway deaths of young people ages 16 to 24. As little as one drink can impair vision, steering, braking, judgment and reaction time.
AAA estimates that a first-time DUI conviction in California can cost up to $12,000 in fines, penalties, restitution, legal fees and added insurance expenses.
