Tipsy Tow, Police Aim To Keep Holiday Partiers Off Oklahoma Streets

Have all the green beer you want this weekend, just don't get in your car afterward, law enforcement say.

St. Patrick's Day festivities usually cause a spike in DUI-related traffic collisions and in response, the Tulsa Police Department said it is dedicated to bumping up its enforcement. 

The Tulsa Police Department, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Tulsa County Sheriff's Office and the ABLE Commission will be focusing on Cherry Street, Brookside and the downtown portions of the city. Officers will also be monitoring other areas that will be hosting public activities.

The best thing to do is simply avoid getting behind the wheel after drinking. Like it did on New Year's Eve, auto club AAA is pitching in to keep drunk drivers off the streets.

The company will give up to two riders and their vehicle a ride home within a 15-mile radius of point of pickup, no questions asked. The free service starts at noon on March 17 and runs until 2 a.m. on March 18, in metro Tulsa and Oklahoma City, as well as in Ardmore, Lawton, Shawnee, Muskogee, Enid and Bartlesville.

"We had very strong use of Tipsy Tow over the year-end holidays and we were thrilled," Mai said. "It's an expensive program to offer, but we feel it's worth it. ...No doubt holiday partiers will be drinking – this way, they'll get home in one piece and make the roads safer for the rest of us, too."

Tipsy Tow is free to AAA members and nonmembers alike. Call (800) 222-4357 and ask for Tipsy Tow.