AAA Offers Free Tows On Pot Holiday 4/20 In Northern California

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Marijuana may be legal in California, but it's illegal to smoke and drive. For the first time, the automobile club in Northern California is offering free tows to prevent people from driving while intoxicated on April 20 – marijuana's high holiday.

"It doesn't matter if you're drinking alcohol or using recreational marijuana, there's never an excuse to drive impaired," John Moreno, public policy manager for AAA Northern California, said in a statement.

AAA has provided free Tipsy Tow service for events and holidays such as the Super Bowl, St. Patrick's Day and New Year's Eve since the 1990s, but this is the agency's first campaign involving marijuana. Dispensaries in California began selling legal recreational marijuana on New Year's Day.

"You should always plan for a safe ride home, but if those plans fall through, AAA will get you and your vehicle home safely on 4/20," Moreno said. "We want to keep intoxicated drivers off our roadways, which keeps all of us safer."

The program is for the entire Northern California region. Free tow service will be available from 4:20 p.m. April 20 until 4:20 a.m. April 21.

Drivers, passengers, party hosts, bartenders and restaurant managers who would like to hail a ride just need to call 1-800-AAA-HELP or 1-800-222-4357 and ask for a "tipsy tow." You do not need to be a AAA member to use the service. Simply provide the driver's name, home address, phone number, location and vehicle description.

Tipsy Tow provides a free 10-mile tow and ride home. Motorists are charged a standard towing rate for mileage beyond 10 miles.