AAA Free "Tow To Go" For "Blackout Wednesday", Drinksgiving In Florida
More than 79 million Americans are planning a trip of 50 miles or more away from home by automobile this Thanksgiving with traffic peaking on Blackout Wednesday and Florida being home to four of the top 10 destinations in the U.S., according to AAA.
“Blackout Wednesday” and “Drinksgiving” on Thanksgiving Eve is a cultural phenomenon associated with binge drinking during the Thanksgiving holiday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration warns.
“Danksgiving” also occurs during the Thanksgiving weekend but is related to marijuana use.
AAA is preparing for a busy Thanksgiving holiday weekend, expecting to respond to more than 570,000 calls from drivers with car trouble. Beginning on Wednesday, The Auto Club Group will also launch its free ‘Tow to Go’ service, which is aimed at preventing impaired driving.
The program is available in Florida and other select states (see below), offering a safe ride for would-be impaired drivers and their vehicles. AAA requests that the program be used as a last resort, yet it is free to those who need it.
Tow to Go is active from 6 p.m. Wednesday, November 27th to 6 a.m. Monday, December 2nd.
Available in FL, GA, IA, MI, ND, NE, TN, WI, CO (Denver), NC (Charlotte), IN (Fort Wayne/South Bend).
Nationwide, AAA expects Thanksgiving travel to set new records with an estimated 71.7 million Americans forecast to take a road trip. Combining cocktails with crowded roads can be deadly. During the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, from 2017-2021, more than 830 people died in crashes involving a drunk driver (NHTSA).
“Tow to Go serves as that last line of defense in keeping impaired drivers off the road,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “If you plan to consume alcohol or drugs this weekend, make plans for a safe ride home first. If your plans fall through, you can call AAA, and we’ll get you to a safe place.”
Phone Number
(855) 2-TOW-2-GO or (855) 286-9246
Guidelines
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. Tow to Go 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.
