The American Automobile Association and Budweiser are offering "Tow to Go" service as a safe option to driving impaired over the New Year's holiday, AAA announced on Monday.
Almost 1,000 people were killed on the roads in the United States over the three-day period surrounding New Year's Eve in 2017, according to the latest statistics available from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, with 31% of those fatalities involving drunk drivers.
In an attempt to reduce these numbers, Tow to Go is a free service for AAA members and non-members, in which a tow truck is sent out to transport the driver and their vehicle home or to a safe place within a 10-mile radius.
In the more than two decades since the program started, it has successfully taken off the roads tens of thousands of impaired drivers.
AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said that "New Year's Eve is by far the busiest holiday for Tow To Go," explaining that "although we offer this service for all major holidays, half of our calls occur the night of New Year's Eve."
However, he urged partygoers to plan ahead of time for an alternative to the service because Tow to Go will be based on the availablilty of both tow trucks and drivers.
Before going out, Jenkins encouraged people to appoint a sober driver, look into a ride-sharing service, or call a cab, stressing that Tow to Go should only be part of a backup plan.
He also explained that the service may not be available in rural areas or during harsh weather conditions.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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