This year AAA offered their “Tipsy Tow” problem to drivers in Northern California. Even if they are not a AAA member, anyone who was too drunk to drive could call AAA tow truck to come and tow their vehicle to their home as long as it was within a 10 mile radius.

This free service was meant to help keep California highways safe. According to the California Highway Patrol, 11 people died as a result of drunk driving crashes on Super Bowl Sunday in 2009. That’s three times the daily average for the state. Almost 500 people were arrested that same day for driving under the influence of alcohol. That means their out-of-pocket expenses shot up to almost $12,000, including points added to their license and possible jail time, not to mention the impact it has on their insurance rates.

The problem with inebriated drivers is that they have little objectivity when it comes to how much alcohol they consumed and whether or not they are capable to drive.
In fact, depending on your body weight and metabolism, just one drink might be enough to put you over the limit and make you incapable of driving safely. Alcohol has been shown to reduce your reflexes, slow down your reaction time and impair your judgement. That’s likely why drunk drivers think they’re “ok to drive” when clearly they are not.

AAA was hoping to improve the statistics for Northern California by offering this free ride home. If a bar tender or restaurant manager noticed a patron was too drunk to drive they could call AAA and arrange for a ‘Tipsy Tow’ without worrying about who was going to pay for it.

Hopefully the CHP will have some better roadway statistics to show for these efforts.

Image: Stoonn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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According to the Centers for Disease Control, motor vehicle vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in the United States, accounting for a full 30 percent of all teen deaths. This statistic has not changed for several years, proving that despite efforts to turn the tide, teens are still not getting the message.

According to the California Department of Motor Vehicles, drivers between the ages of 16 and 19 have the highest annual traffic violation and crash rate regardless of being male or female. They are also more likely to have a crash when there are passengers in their car, not uncommon when one teen has a car and they want to go somewhere. In fact, they are more than three times as likely to crash when their friends on on-board than when they are driving alone.

This might be part of the reason the California Highway Patrol is offering free driver safety classes for teen drivers. There is no better time to take a California online traffic school than when you are young. Teen drivers are the most likely to be involved in traffic fatalities. They lack the experience required to make good decisions about what is safe behavior behind the wheel and what is not worth the risk.

A traffic school is a great way to help your teenage driver understand the risks inherent in getting behind the wheel of a 4,000 pound missile made of plastic and steel, and pushing down on the accelerator. It helps them understand the dangers of distracted driving; the risks of not wearing their seat belt, and the obvious ramifications of not properly following all traffic signals and safety laws.

Anyone who has a teenager at home knows the difficulties of convincing them to alter their behavior for anything. But when their life is on the line, a California traffic school seems worth every minute.

• Guidelines and steps for applying for a new California Driver’s License for teens – Read more at Applying for a New California Driver’s License (For Teens).

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