Crime & Safety
Auto Club Offers 'Tipsy Tow' Service for Holiday
People worried about driving home drunk can request a free tow home within seven miles.
The Automobile Club of Southern California will continue offering its free "Tipsy Tow" service tonight in hopes of keeping drunken New Year's Eve drivers off the road.
The service, being offered for the 15th straight year, will be available until 6 a.m. Sunday in the 13 counties served by the Auto Club.
According to the Auto Club, any motorist, bartender, restaurant manager, party host or passenger of a drinking driver can call (800) 400-4AAA for a free tow -- of up to seven miles.
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Callers should tell operators they want a Tipsy Tow, and a tow truck under contract to the Auto Club will be dispatched.
The service does not include rides for passengers and is restricted to a one-way, one-time ride to the driver's home. For distances longer than seven miles, drivers will be expected to pay the normal rate charged by the tow truck operator.
Find out what's happening in Redlands-Loma Lindawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
A first-time drunken driving conviction can cost $12,176 or more in fines, penalties, restitution, legal fees and increased insurance costs, according to Auto Club officials.