Auto Club Helping Keep New Year's Parties Off Local Roads

Law enforcement officers throughout Lake Elsinore and Wildomar will be on the lookout this New Year's weekend for intoxicated drivers and are urging people to think twice before getting behind the wheel.

For those who don't keep the party off the road, the is warning that drunk or drugged drivers should be ready to face the consequences.

To avoid driving under the influence, the Automobile Club of Southern California is hosting its free Tipsy Tow program for the 14th consecutive year. The service is available to all Riverside County residents, regardless of whether they are Auto Club subscribers.

Motorists, bartenders, restaurant managers, party hosts or passengers of a drinking driver can call 800-400-4AAA, and say, "I need a Tipsy Tow." An Auto Club-contracted tow truck will then be dispatched to give the driver a ride home as well as tow the person's car.

"It only takes one or two drinks to slow physical and mental skills that affect vision, steering, braking judgment, and reaction time," said Auto Club Senior Researcher Steve Bloch. "Drivers should be aware that the California Highway Patrol and law enforcement agencies are likely using sobriety checkpoints and extra patrols to look for drinking drivers during the holiday."

A recent AAA report found that 10 percent of motorists admit to driving when they thought their blood alcohol content was above the legal limit. 

"This is entirely preventable," Bloch said.

Tipsy Tows are free up to seven miles; after that costs are incurred at the tow company's regular rate. Rides will be offered to the driver only, so other arrangements would need to be made for others in a party.

Drinking drivers frequently don't plan for other ways to get home because they are concerned about retrieving their vehicle the next day, according to an Auto Club news release. Such drivers cite taxi costs and inconvenience as reasons they don't use alternate transportation.

Tipsy Tow is being made available to drivers from 6 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday in all 13 counties served by the Automobile Club of Southern California, which advises the following safety tips:

• 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._

According to the Auto Club, California drivers with three or more DUIs within a 10-year period face a three-year license revocation. In 2012, the license revocation will go from three years to 10 years.