Auto Club Offers Expanded Tipsy Tow Service Over Fourth of July Weekend
30 June 1999
Auto Club Offers Expanded Tipsy Tow Service Over Fourth of July Weekend; New Club Study Shows Dramatic Rise in Alcohol-Related Deaths & Injuries On Fourth of July
LOS ANGELES--June 29, 1999--The Automobile Club of Southern California is offering expanded Tipsy Tow service during the Fourth of July weekend to provide a safe alternative to drinking and driving.A new study by the Auto Club shows that deaths and injuries from alcohol-related crashes increase dramatically for this holiday.
Motorists, bartenders, restaurant managers, party hosts or passengers of a drinking driver may call 800-400-4AAA anytime from 6 p.m. on Saturday, July 3, to midnight, Sunday, July 4, and request a free tow home of up to seven miles. Callers simply tell the Auto Club operator, "I need a Tipsy Tow," to receive the free tow and ride home. A regular Auto Club-contracted emergency road service truck will be dispatched.
Callers need to keep in mind that the service excludes rides for passengers, is restricted to a one-way, one-time ride for the driver, and the destination is limited to the driver's residence. Reservations are not accepted. Drivers can expect to pay the rate charged by the tow truck contractor for rides farther than seven miles. The service is available only between 6 p.m. on Saturday, July 3 to midnight, Sunday, July 4. Tipsy Tow is available in the 13 Southern California counties served by the Auto Club.
Alcohol-related fatalities and injuries in California increase sharply on July 4 according to a new study by Auto Club researcher Steven Bloch, Ph.D. The analysis compared fatalities and injuries on July 4 with fatalities and injuries on the same day of the week over the four weeks prior to the holiday and the three weeks after the holiday. (For example, if July 4 was on Tuesday, the study looked at other Tuesdays in June and July; if July 4 was on Saturday, the study looked at other Saturdays in June and July.) The study shows that from 1988 through 1998, alcohol-related deaths are up 38% on the July 4 holiday (6 p.m. on July 3 to midnight on July 4).
Alcohol-related injuries are up even more -- 74%.
"We've known for some years that summer holidays -- not winter ones -- tend to have the greatest amount of drinking and driving," said Bloch. "What we didn't know is how over-represented drinking and driving fatalities and injuries are on holidays compared to non-holidays. We want motorists to be aware of the high crash risk from drinking and driving associated with holidays, and encourage them to think twice before getting behind the wheel if they have been drinking."
While the number of Californians arrested for driving under the influence in 1997 is the lowest in more than 20 years, it's still disturbingly high -- nearly 200,000, according to Bloch. Statewide, annual alcohol-related crashes have also steadily decreased and are 59 percent lower than they were 20 years ago. "We'd like to see these numbers reduced even further, particularly the high numbers during the holidays," added Bloch.
The Fourth of July is a traditional time for long weekend excursions, parties, trips to the beach, backyard picnics and barbecues, activities that contribute to a more relaxed atmosphere and more drinking, according to Bloch.
"It only takes one or two drinks to slow physical and mental skills and affect vision, steering, braking judgement and reaction time," Bloch said. "We hope drivers are aware that the CHP and police departments are likely to be using extra patrols to look for drinking drivers during holidays."
Drinking drivers frequently fail to seek and obtain alternative ways to get home because they are concerned about retrieving their vehicle, the expense of taxis and the inconvenience of alternative transportation. Tipsy Tow is intended to give motorists a safer option for getting themselves and their vehicle home, instead of driving while intoxicated.
The Auto Club advises that motorists can keep themselves and others safe and can avoid DUI arrests by keeping these driving safety tips in mind over the summer holidays:
-- At social events, designate a non-drinking driver who can get
everyone home safely.
-- Call a friend or family member for a ride if you've been
drinking.
-- Keep a cab company telephone number in your wallet so you can
call for a ride home.
-- As a party host, offer a variety of non-alcoholic drink
alternatives, provide a gift to guests who volunteer to be
designated drivers, arrange transportation through programs such
as Tipsy Tow for guests who have been drinking.
-- Take the car keys away from friends and relatives who have had
too much to drink.
The Automobile Club of Southern California, the largest affiliate of the AAA, has been serving members since 1900. Today, the Auto Club's members benefit by the organization's emergency road service, insurance services, travel agency, financial products, automotive pricing, buying and financing programs, automotive testing and analysis, trip planning services, highway and transportation safety programs and legislative advocacy.
Information about these products and services is available on the Auto Club's Web site at www.aaa-calif.com.