‘Tipsy Tow’ service to be offered to Central Coast residents on 4/20

AAA is lending a helping hand to make sure drivers arrive home safely on California’s first 4/20 with legalized marijuana.

Those in Northern California and on the Central Coast can take advantage of the service that provides a free ride and tow.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re drinking alcohol or using recreational marijuana, there’s never an excuse to drive impaired,” said John Moreno, public policy manager for AAA Northern California. “You should always plan for a safe ride home, but if those plans fall through, AAA will get you and your vehicle home safely on 4/20. We want to keep intoxicated drivers off our roadways, which keeps all of us safer.”

According to the National Safety Council, the U.S. recently faced the worst two-year increase in motor vehicle deaths in more than 50 years, with marijuana-impaired driving being one of the many factors believed to be contributing to the recent increase in auto crash frequency. Another study in JAMA Internal Medicine found traffic fatalities spike 12 percent on 4/20, showing an increased traffic safety risk more comparable to the fatal crash rates that happen on Super Bowl Sunday.

AAA Tipsy Tow service will start 4:20 p.m. on Friday, April 20, and continue until 4:20 a.m. April 21.

To take advantage of the service, those interested should call 1-800-AAA-HELP (1-800-222-4357) and state that they need a Tipsy Tow. Drivers should be prepared to provide their name, home address, phone number, location and vehicle description.

This is the first Tipsy Tow campaign involving marijuana.

The service provides a free ride home and vehicle tow of up to 10 miles. For mileage beyond this, motorists are charged a standard towing rate. You do not have to be a AAA member to use the service.

AAA estimates that a first-time DUI conviction can cost a motorist more than $10,000 in fines, penalties, legal fees and increased insurance costs.

“Although a DUI can raise your annual auto insurance premiums by hundreds of dollars for as long as 10 years, the financial cost is nothing compared to the risk of injuring yourself and others,” said CSAA Insurance Group spokesperson Susan Saito. “Impaired driving includes marijuana use, so it’s important to find a safe alternative to getting behind the wheel.”