Message Monday - Choose wisely- police or rideshare - don't drive drunk
Life is full of choices. Some are minor, others can change your life. One seemingly minor decision that could have life-altering impacts is the choice to drive after you’ve been drinking. Almost 34 percent of Iowa’s traffic fatality crashes in 2018 involved an impaired driver. That’s 108 people who died because of someone’s bad choice.
Last Labor Day weekend, five people died on Iowa roadways. Three of those deaths were caused by an impaired driver. If you are closing out the summer with a few drinks, make the right choice and arrange for a designated driver or call a rideshare service to get you home safely.
Another option is Tow to Go, a free holiday service provided by AAA and Budweiser. For the Labor Day weekend, the program starts Friday, Aug. 30 and runs through Tuesday morning, Sept. 3. When you call (855) 2-TOW-2-GO or (855) 286-9246, a tow truck will come tow your vehicle and take you to a safe location within 10 miles.
Important Tow to Go guidelines:
- Tow trucks can usually transport up to two people. If there are more people in your party, you will need to make other arrangements to get them home safely.
- You can’t make an appointment to use Tow to Go. It is designed as a safety net for those that did not plan ahead. Always choose a Designated Driver or make other arrangements to get home before you have your first drink.
- In some situations, AAA may need to make other arrangements to get an impaired individual a safe ride home.
- Tow to Go may not be available in rural areas or during severe weather conditions.
We live in a world that offers many safe options – choose wisely and be a hero -https://youtu.be/7GxmZCjzz0Y
For 2019, there have been 204 fatalities reported. That’s an increase of eight since last Monday. The 2018 fatality count stands at 319. This is subject to change as law enforcement reports are completed. To see statistics published daily by the Office of Driver Services, go to the daily fatality report at https://www.iowadot.gov/mvd/stats/daily.pdf.