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ST. PATRICK'S DAY: Ways to get a safe ride home

Posted at 12:17 AM, Mar 17, 2016
and last updated 2016-03-17 00:27:17-04

Are you or your friends planning to party on St. Patrick's Day?  If so, you will want to keep this information handy to make sure everyone gets home safely.
 

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“Impaired driving can ruin more than just a good celebration,” said Amy Stracke, Managing Director, Traffic Safety Advocacy for AAA. “Please plan ahead to make sure you and your loved ones make it home safely.”

AAA strongly recommends you have a Designated Driver or arranging for another form of sober transportation.

DESIGNATED DRIVER

A designated driver is a person who abstains from alcohol on a social occasion (such as a St. Patrick's Day party) in order to drive his or her companions home safely as an alternative to driving under the influence.

TECO LINE STREETCAR

The TECO Line Streetcar System runs on rails that connects Ybor City, Channelside and Downtown Tampa. The streetcar line operates until at least 10:00 p.m. More Info: www.tecolinestreetcar.org.

TAXI, CAB SERVICES

Taking a cab or taxi is also a good alternative to driving during any holiday. To find a car service near you, download a cab-finding app like Curb: www.gocurb.com.

Polk County:
Checker Cab Co., 863-665-8151
Polk County Taxi, 863-521-2924

Hillsborough County:
Yellow Cab, 813-253-0121
Cab Plus, 813-288-8888
United Taxi Car Service, 877-288-2672

Pasco County:
Express Cab 727-226-3822
Signature Car Service 727-834-4444
Adventure Cab Express 727-637-1069

Pinellas County:
United Taxi 727-777-7777
Coral Cab 727-215-0429
Downtown Yellow Taxi 727-379-4440
Yellow Cab 727-204-4212

UBER, LYFT

Ride-sharing is a popular alternative to driving or taking a taxi on a holiday. When there is high demand, Uber uses surge pricing. Fares can increase significantly during the busiest time of the night.

Riders who use rival Lyft will also see a version of Uber's price surge, called "Prime Time."

Uber: www.uber.com

Lyft: www.lyft.com

TOW-TO-GO

AAA's free "Tow-to-go" service is active for St. Patrick's Day.

Whether you are a AAA member or not, you can call for a Tow to Go ride anytime Thursday, March 17 through 6:00 a.m. on Friday, March 18. AAA will safely get you and your vehicle home or somewhere safe within 10 miles.

Call 1-855-2-TOW-2-GO (855-286-9246)

Since it started in 1998, Tow to Go has safely removed 24,000 impaired drivers from the roads.  The service is designed to be used as a last resort to keep drunk drivers from getting behind the wheel.