AAA revives Tow to Go for Labor Day weekend after 25 years of holiday rides
New Capabilities Grand Rapids, MI localFree, confidential rides for impaired drivers and their cars return for the holiday rush
2 days ago: Tow to Go activated for Labor Day weekendNew here? Follow stories to track developments over time. Create a free account to get updates when stories you care about change.
Overview
Updated 1 hour agoAAA is offering free rides home to impaired drivers and their vehicles from 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4 through 6 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8. The 'Tow to Go' service is available to members and non-members alike in 14 states, with a 10-mile drop-off radius.
The program has run for over 25 years, removing nearly 30,000 impaired drivers from U.S. roadways. Its survival points to a stubborn problem: many people drive drunk because they fear leaving their cars behind—a concern the program directly eliminates.
Why it matters
If you drive impaired this holiday, you can get a free ride home without abandoning your vehicle—an option that exists only because AAA has sustained it for a quarter century.
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Timeline
January 1998 September 2026
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Tow to Go activated for Labor Day weekend
Latest Service LaunchFree rides and vehicle towing offered from Sept. 4 to Sept. 8 in select states, with a 10-mile drop-off limit.
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AAA surveys drivers on impaired driving behavior
ResearchOnline surveys in Florida and Georgia find nearly a quarter of respondents admit to driving after consuming impairing substances.
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Tow to Go program launched
InceptionThe Auto Club Group creates a free ride service for impaired drivers during holidays, addressing anxiety about leaving vehicles behind.
Historical Context
2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.
Uber and Lyft's impact on drunk driving (2010s)
Ride-hailing apps expanded rapidly, giving bar-goers a convenient alternative to driving. Several studies linked their growth to reductions in alcohol-related crashes in major cities.
Cities with active ride-hailing saw measurable drops in drunk-driving arrests and crashes.
Ride-hailing became a standard fallback, but a gap remained for those who felt safe leaving their own vehicle unattended.
Tow to Go fills this specific gap by transporting both the driver and the vehicle, a service ride-hailing apps do not provide.
MADD's founding and anti-drunk-driving campaigns (1980)
Mothers Against Drunk Driving formed in 1980 after a California mother lost her daughter to a repeat-offender drunk driver. The group pushed for stricter laws, higher drinking ages, and public awareness campaigns.
Within a decade, most states raised the legal drinking age to 21 and reduced allowable BAC limits.
Drunk-driving fatalities dropped significantly, establishing a cultural expectation of designated drivers and ride alternatives.
Tow to Go is a direct descendant of this public safety movement, providing a practical alternative that reinforces the same message: never drive impaired.
