AAA Offers Tow to Go for St. Patrick's Day

Don't rely on luck to get home on St. Patrick's Day

With St. Patrick’s Day falling on a Saturday this year, festivals and celebrations are likely to see larger-than-normal crowds, with more vehicles and pedestrians on the roadways.

AAA, in partnership with Budweiser, urges everyone to have a plan for celebrating responsibly and getting home safely from events that involve alcohol. From 2012 to 2016, 269 lives were lost in drunk-driving crashes on St. Patrick’s Day, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). For anyone who needs a safe ride home, the Tow to Go program is available from Friday, March 16 through Sunday, March 18 at 6 a.m.

“Heading out to celebrate without a plan for getting home safely can be a recipe for disaster,” said Matt Nasworthy, Florida Public Affairs Director, AAA - The Auto Club Group. “Too many lives are lost in alcohol-involved crashes, and we want to make sure everyone gets home to their loved ones this weekend.”

Tow To Go Guidelines:

• Confidential local ride to a safe location within 10 miles
• The AAA tow truck takes the vehicle and the driver home
• Free and available to AAA members and non-members
• Tow To Go is provided in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Nebraska, and Iowa
• Tow To Go may not be available in rural areas or during severe weather conditions
• Visit www.AAA.com/TowtoGo for dates and availability throughout 2017

If you are hosting a party, please do so responsibly. Check out the Great Pretenders Party Guide from the Auto Club Group Traffic Safety Foundation to learn more.

“Celebrating safely is not a matter of luck,” said Amy Stracke, Managing Director, Traffic Safety Advocacy for AAA – The Auto Club Group and Executive Director of the ACG Traffic Safety Foundation. “If you’re going to be out drinking or hosting a party with alcohol, please plan ahead so you and your loved ones get home safely.”

“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 and Midwest. 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.

Anheuser-Busch Wholesalers have been co-sponsors 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 to help educate servers on the importance of not over-serving their customers.