While Thanksgiving is a joyous time of celebrating with family and friends, it can also lead to deadly consequences when those celebrations go too far.
The day before Thanksgiving kicks off one of the deadliest weekends on the roads, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Known as "Blackout Wednesday" or "Drinksgiving," the Wednesday before turkey day is one of the heaviest drinking nights in the year -- and also one of the deadliest days of the year for drunk driving.
Combining cocktails with crowded roads can be deadly. According to the NHTSA, 137 drivers involved in fatal crashes on Thanksgiving Eve from 2017-2021 were drunk. And during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, from 2017-2021, more than 830 people died in crashes involving a drunk driver.
To help keep impaired drivers off the road, AAA is activating its "Tow to Go" campaign in 11 states on Wednesday. The program offers a safe ride for would-be impaired drivers and their vehicles -- completely free.
"Tow to Go serves as that last line of defense in keeping impaired drivers off the road," AAA Spokesperson Adrienne Woodland said in a statement. "If you plan to consume alcohol or drugs this weekend, make plans for a safe ride home first. If your plans fall through, you can call AAA and we'll get you to a safe place."
How it works: When called upon, AAA dispatches a tow truck to transport the impaired person and their vehicle to a safe location within a 10-mile radius for free. The phone number is (855) 2-TOW-2-GO or (855) 286-9246.
Appointments cannot be scheduled in advance to use Tow to Go. It is designed as a safety net for those that did not plan ahead.
Tow to Go is available to AAA members and non-members in Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, North Dakota, Nebraska, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Colorado (Denver), North Carolina (Charlotte), and Indiana (Fort Wayne/South Bend).
This is the 25th year AAA has provided the Tow to Go program. AAA says the program has removed more than 25,000 impaired drivers from the road since its inception.