President's Message


Tony DeNovellis
President and CEO

A safe holiday season

How many people do you trust with your life?

Every day, as drivers, passengers or pedestrians, we entrust our lives to thousands of total strangers on the road. When it comes to safety, each of us relies on the good judgement of countless other people, just as our own choices affect the safety of our fellow road users.

As the holiday season approaches, it will once again become obvious that too many people don't make wise choices when it comes to alcohol and driving. The Colorado State Patrol reported recently that more than 30,000 people are arrested each year for DUI in Colorado. In 2007, 226 people were killed in Colorado in crashes caused by alcohol-impaired driving—40% of the state's total motor vehicle traffic deaths.

Too many lives are being lost and your help is needed to stop it.

Across Colorado, and across the country, law enforcement officers will be out in force this holiday season with checkpoints and patrols aimed at getting impaired drivers off the road.

As you enjoy the holidays, be sure to make transportation decisions and arrangements before the first drink. Accurate decision-making is one of the first abilities impaired by alcohol and this often leads to poor choices regarding safety. Designate a non-drinking driver or call a cab—and if you do have to wait briefly at a checkpoint, please take a moment to thank the officer for helping to keep impaired drivers off the road and out of your way.

AAA Colorado wishes all its members a safe, happy holiday season.

Changes at branch offices

In recent years, AAA Colorado has been adjusting its business model in order to respond better to the changing needs and expectations of its members.

An increasing number of members now prefer to complete their transactions with AAA by phone or on the Internet. As a result, walk-in traffic to branch offices has significantly declined over the years.

For this reason, in mid-October AAA Colorado made the decision to close three of its 14 branch offices-Broadmoor, Greeley and Pueblo. While this has been a difficult decision and AAA Colorado regrets any inconvenience that these changes may cause, it is committed to providing Five Diamond service to members around the state. The remaining offices will continue to serve the needs of walk-in visitors.

The Carefree office in Colorado Springs will now be the nearest branch office for Pueblo members. The nearest branch office for members in Greeley will now be the Fort Collins office.

All products and services can be obtained through the 11 remaining branch offices, online at www.AAA.com and by telephone.

Tony DeNovellis
President and CEO