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NEWS RELEASE
CONTACT:
Jessica Brady, manager, AAA Public Relations, (813) 288-7294 office, (813) 532-5327 cell
Mandy Llanes, Southeast Region Director, Consumer Awareness & Education, Anheuser-Busch Companies, (305)323-9737 cell |
DRIVING WHILE INTOXICATED IS A SURE FIRE WAY TO END YOUR INDEPENDENCE THIS HOLIDAY WEEKEND
Tow to Go provides free rides and tows to intoxicated drivers and their cars throughout the holiday
TAMPA, Fla. (June 28, 2010) - AAA Auto Club South and Budweiser will help protect roadways throughout the Independence Day weekend with the 'Tow to Go' program. Tow to Go has safely removed more than 11,400 drunk drivers off roadways since the program began in 1998. Anyone, both AAA members and non-members, can call for a 'Tow to Go' ride, Friday through Monday, July 2 - 5.
'Tow to Go' provides a confidential ride and tow home from any bar or restaurant - free of charge - to anyone who may have had too much to drink by calling 1-800-AAA-HELP (4357). Services are now offered throughout all of Florida, Georgia, and West and Middle Tennessee.
No one intends to be a drunk driver, it just happens, whether they've had way too many drinks or just one too many, said Ed Schatzman, senior vice president, Automotive Services, AAA Auto Club South. Call volume steadily increases every Independence Day weekend and we are happy to get as many drunk drivers off the road as possible so everyone on the road can get home safely to their families.
Anheuser-Busch and AAA congratulate our great country as we celebrate the birth of our independence this Fourth of July, said Kathy Casso, vice president, Corporate Social Responsibility, Anheuser-Busch. With our many freedoms comes the duty to be responsible and make safe decisions like selecting a designated driver if we may have had too much to drink. Thanks to Tow to Go, anyone can get a safe ride home for themselves, their family and friends.
I work the night shift and have provided more tows home for intoxicated drivers than I can count with nothing but good experiences because everyone is usually grateful for a free ride home, said Dan Simpson, Florida Service Technician who has serviced Tow to Go calls for more than eight years for AAA Auto Club South. What concerns me is the fact that the majority of people tell me they were going to drive home if Tow to Go wasn't an option and that's not good since many of these people can't even walk, let alone sit upright on a barstool.
In addition to planning your barbeques and Firework Displays, follow these simple tips to make sure that you have a safe Independence Day weekend:
Ü Select a designated driver before going out to with your friends
Ü Preprogram in a few cab service phone numbers in your cell phone
Ü Always keep some cash on you for a cab ride home should you need it
AAA Auto Club South is the third largest affiliate of AAA, with 78 branch offices serving 4.1 million members in Florida, Georgia, West and Middle Tennessee, and Puerto Rico. Since its founding in 1938, AAA Auto Club South has worked to protect and advance freedom of mobility and improve travel safety.
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