AAA offers free rides, tows for impaired drivers in 11 states for Thanksgiving weekend

People who are impaired can request a free ride and a tow from AAA this Thanksgiving weekend, according to a news release from the agency.

The “Tow to Go” program, which will be active in 11 states from 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 23, until 6 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 28, will offer free rides and tows within a 10-mile radius to those who are too impaired to drive, the release says.

The service will be offered in Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, North Dakota, Nebraska, Tennessee and Wisconsin as well as in Denver, Colorado; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Fort Wayne/South Bend, Indiana, the agency said. Each ride will be for one person and their vehicle.

Drivers who want to request the assistance of a tow truck can call (855) 2-TOW-2-GO (or (855) 286-9246) and one will be dispatched to their location, AAA said. The service is free for everyone, including those who are not AAA members, but should be used as a “last resort,” according to the agency.

“Alcohol, drugs and even prescription medications can affect your ability to drive,” Mark Jenkins, spokesman for AAA, said in a statement. “So don’t put yourself at risk. Find a designated driver or ridesharing program. If you’re tempted to drive impaired, call AAA instead and we’ll get you to a safe location.”

Thanksgiving weekend is a busy time to drive and also carries a greater risk of crashing.

An estimated 48.7 million people will travel by car 50 miles or more from their home this Thanksgiving, according to AAA.

Over the Thanksgiving weekends between 2016 and 2020, more than 800 people died in crashes involving a drunk driver, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“It’s important to understand even a small amount of alcohol can affect a person quickly,” according to the agency. “For example, someone with a blood alcohol concentration of .02 can have some loss of judgment.”

AAA recommends traveling before 8 a.m. and after 8 p.m. on Nov. 23, before 11 a.m. and after 6 p.m. on Nov. 24 (Thanksgiving Day), before 11 a.m. and after 8 p.m. on Nov. 25, before 2 p.m. and after 8 p.m. on Nov. 26, and before 11 a.m. and after 8 p.m. on Nov. 27.