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AAA revives Tow to Go for Labor Day weekend after 25 years of holiday rides

AAA revives Tow to Go for Labor Day weekend after 25 years of holiday rides

New Capabilities Grand Rapids, MI local

Free, confidential rides for impaired drivers and their cars return for the holiday rush

2 days ago: Tow to Go activated for Labor Day weekend

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

AAA 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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Key Indicators

25+
Years of Tow to Go service
The Auto Club Group has run the program since the late 1990s.
30,000
Impaired drivers given rides home
Cumulative number of drivers transported to safety by Tow to Go.
24%
Florida drivers who admit driving impaired
AAA's 2026 survey found 24% of Floridians drove after drinking, using marijuana, or taking impairing meds.
18%
Drivers impaired due to vehicle concerns
Of those Florida drivers, 18% said they drove because they didn't want to leave their vehicle unattended.

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People Involved

Organizations Involved

Timeline

January 1998 September 2026

3 events Latest: 2 days ago
  1. Tow to Go activated for Labor Day weekend

    Latest Service Launch

    Free rides and vehicle towing offered from Sept. 4 to Sept. 8 in select states, with a 10-mile drop-off limit.

  2. AAA surveys drivers on impaired driving behavior

    Research

    Online surveys in Florida and Georgia find nearly a quarter of respondents admit to driving after consuming impairing substances.

  3. Tow to Go program launched

    Inception

    The 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.

2010-2019

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.

Then

Cities with active ride-hailing saw measurable drops in drunk-driving arrests and crashes.

Now

Ride-hailing became a standard fallback, but a gap remained for those who felt safe leaving their own vehicle unattended.

Why this matters now

Tow to Go fills this specific gap by transporting both the driver and the vehicle, a service ride-hailing apps do not provide.

1980s

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.

Then

Within a decade, most states raised the legal drinking age to 21 and reduced allowable BAC limits.

Now

Drunk-driving fatalities dropped significantly, establishing a cultural expectation of designated drivers and ride alternatives.

Why this matters now

Tow to Go is a direct descendant of this public safety movement, providing a practical alternative that reinforces the same message: never drive impaired.

Sources

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