Auto Club: Tipsy Tow Service for Fourth of July

LOS ANGELES, CA, Jul 02 (MARKET WIRE) --
The Automobile Club of Southern California is offering its free Tipsy Tow
service to drinking drivers during the 4th of July holiday for the 12th
consecutive year. The service is available from 6 p.m. on Friday, July 3,
to midnight on Saturday, July 4. Tipsy Tow is available in the 13
Southern California counties served by the Auto Club.

Motorists, bartenders, restaurant managers, party hosts or passengers of a
drinking driver may call 1-800-400-4AAA for a free tow home of up to seven
miles. Callers simply tell the Auto Club operators, "I need a Tipsy Tow,"
to receive the free tow and ride home. A regular Auto Club-contracted
roadside 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. "Drivers should be aware of
the high crash risk from drinking and driving associated with holidays and
we encourage them to think twice about getting behind the wheel if they've
been drinking," said the Auto Club's senior researcher Steve Bloch.

Fourth of July is a traditional time for barbecues, family gatherings,
parties, picnics and revelry, all activities that contribute to a more
relaxed atmosphere and more opportunities for drinking alcohol, according
to Bloch.

"It only takes one or two drinks to slow physical and mental skills that
affect vision, steering, braking judgment, and reaction time," he said.
"We hope drivers are aware that the California Highway Patrol and law
enforcement agencies are likely to be using extra patrols to look for
drinking drivers during the holiday."

While the number of Californians arrested for driving under the influence
in 2007 (the latest figure available) is more than 40% less than what it
was 25 years ago, it's still disturbingly high -- 206,123, according to
Bloch. Statewide annual alcohol-related fatal and injury crashes have also
decreased sharply, by 50% from 44,234 in 1982 to 22,224 in 2007. "An AAA
report released last year found that 10 percent admit to driving drunk
when they thought their blood alcohol content was above the legal limit.
This is entirely preventable, especially around the holidays," said Bloch.

Drinking drivers frequently don't plan for other ways to get home because
they are concerned about retrieving their vehicle. They cite the cost of
taxis and inconvenience as the major reasons they don't use alternate
transportation, according to the Auto Club. Tipsy Tow provides motorists
with a safe ride home for themselves and their vehicle instead of driving
while intoxicated.

People convicted of driving under the influence could lose many of the
important things in their lives, such as family, job, dignity and money.
The Auto Club estimates that a first time DUI conviction can cost
approximately $15,179 or more in fines, penalties, restitution, legal fees
and increased insurance costs.

Current laws, enforcement, public awareness, and education efforts by
public service-oriented organizations, including the Auto Club, have
contributed to the decline in the number of alcohol-related fatalities
during the past 10 years. The Auto Club provides the Tipsy Tow service and
free publications as part of the "You Drink. You Drive. You Lose." public
awareness campaign.

The Auto Club advises that motorists can keep themselves and others safe
and can avoid DUI arrests by keeping these safety tips in mind:

-- At social events, designate non-drinking drivers who can get everyone
home safely.
-- Call a friend or family member for a ride home if you have 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
and provide a gift to guests who volunteer to be designated drivers.
-- Take the car keys away from friends and relatives who have had too
much to drink.

Contact:
Elaine Beno/Jeff Spring
714-885-2333

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