First the good news.
If that champagne ends up flowing a bit too freely this New Year's Eve, AAA wants you to give them a call instead of getting behind the wheel.
That's because this New Year's, select AAA automobile clubs will offer up tow trucks as de-facto taxi cabs to provide free lifts home for people who say they've had too much to drink. And they'll tow your car home as well.
Triple A's 'Tipsy Tow' service is being rolled out in a number of communities to help prevent drunk drivers from taking to the streets on what is traditionally one of the most dangerous and deadly nights to be on the road.
The program has been offered around other booze-friendly holidays, such as July 4th, Memorial Day and even Super Bowl Sunday.
If you need to use it, just dial 1-800-AAA-Help and a truck will be sent out to your location so long as you're within 10 miles of your home.
So, you know, it's the good kind of "drunk dialing." Go ahead and program that into your phone now maybe?
The program is not available everywhere, so AAA advises checking first with your local AAA program to see if they're participating.
Some places such as North and South Carolina have actually stopped using the service because .
AAA of the Carolinas spokesman Tom Crosby said that "Unfortunately, too many young people used it as a safety net to get from party to party to get as drunk as possible and still get home."
So, as with everything else on New Year's, just be responsible with it.
Then the bad news.
If that champagne ends up flowing a bit too freely this New Year's Eve, AAA wants you to give them a call instead of getting behind the wheel.
That's because this New Year's, select AAA automobile clubs will offer up tow trucks as de-facto taxi cabs to provide free lifts home for people who say they've had too much to drink. And they'll tow your car home as well.
Triple A's 'Tipsy Tow' service is being rolled out in a number of communities to help prevent drunk drivers from taking to the streets on what is traditionally one of the most dangerous and deadly nights to be on the road.
The program has been offered around other booze-friendly holidays, such as July 4th, Memorial Day and even Super Bowl Sunday.
If you need to use it, just dial 1-800-AAA-Help and a truck will be sent out to your location so long as you're within 10 miles of your home.
So, you know, it's the good kind of "drunk dialing." Go ahead and program that into your phone now maybe?
The program is not available everywhere, so AAA advises checking first with your local AAA program to see if they're participating.
Some places such as North and South Carolina have actually stopped using the service because .
AAA of the Carolinas spokesman Tom Crosby said that "Unfortunately, too many young people used it as a safety net to get from party to party to get as drunk as possible and still get home."
So, as with everything else on New Year's, just be responsible with it.
Then the bad news.
CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) – AAA of the Carolinas says a popular program to safely get home on New Year’s will not happen this year because of abuse.AAA of the Carolinas Spokesman Tom Crosby says AAA’s Tow To Go program was heavily abused on New Year’s Eve last year.The program was meant to assist people who had too much to drink and did not have a designated driver to safely get home on New Year’s.
A bartender at a participating bar would call a number and a AAA contracted tow truck would come pick up the person and their car and take them both home, Crosby said.Crosby said the program was meant for people who accidentally drank too much and did not have a safe way to get home.“Unfortunately, too many young people used it as a safety net to get from party to party to get as drunk as possible and still get home,” Crosby said.
The program was used on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve in 2010 and was sponsored by Budweiser.“The program had great intentions but we just got bad results,” Crosby said.
A bartender at a participating bar would call a number and a AAA contracted tow truck would come pick up the person and their car and take them both home, Crosby said.Crosby said the program was meant for people who accidentally drank too much and did not have a safe way to get home.“Unfortunately, too many young people used it as a safety net to get from party to party to get as drunk as possible and still get home,” Crosby said.
The program was used on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve in 2010 and was sponsored by Budweiser.“The program had great intentions but we just got bad results,” Crosby said.
