AAA Texas Offers Tipsy Tow for Safe Alternative to Drinking and Driving

    HOUSTON--Dec. 19, 2001--AAA Texas is offering Tipsy Tow as a safe alternative to drinking and driving for the Christmas -- New Year's holiday.
    The Tipsy Tow program is designed to provide drivers with a way to get home safely if they have been drinking.

    Here is how it works:

--	Drivers, holiday hosts and bartenders simply dial AAA's toll free number at 1-800-AAA-HELP or 1-800-222-4357 to request Tipsy Tow service.
--	AAA Texas dispatches a tow truck and;
--	The driver is driven -- and the vehicle towed -- home for free up to 10 miles. (up to 2 people can ride in the tow truck)

    "If motorists are planning on drinking for the holidays, we suggest they have a designated driver," says Rose Rougeau, spokesperson for AAA Texas. "If one is not available, we recommend they utilize our Tipsy Tow service as a responsible alternative," added Rougeau.
    Tipsy Tow, now in its 15th year in Texas, gets underway at 6 PM, Friday, Dec. 21, and wraps up at midnight Tuesday, New Year's Day (Jan. 1, 2002). The first 10 miles are free to members and the general public, and up to two people can ride with the towed vehicle. To arrange a ride, call AAA Texas at 1-800-AAA-HELP or 1-800-222-4357. The service is available in Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio.
    AAA Texas, an affiliate of the American Automobile Association, has been serving Texans since 1902. AAA Texas offers its more than 850,000 members emergency road service, a full-service travel agency, financial services and public safety programs.