Watch CBS News

AAA To Offer Free 'Tipsy Tow' Service Wednesday

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — The Automobile Club of Southern California will offer free towing on the Fourth of July in an attempt to keep drunken drivers off the road.

The Tipsy Tow program will be available to intoxicated drivers in the 13 counties served by the Auto Club.

Motorists, bartenders, restaurant managers, party hosts or passengers of a drinking driver can call (800) 400-4AAA for a free tow to the driver's residence of up to seven miles away.

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 for the driver. For distances longer than seven miles, drivers will be expected to pay the normal rate charged by the tow truck operator.

A first-time drunken driving conviction can cost $12,162 or more in fines, penalties, restitution, legal fees and increased insurance costs, according to the Auto Club.

(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.