AAA Washington

We’d like to reintroduce ourselves. Everyone knows AAA, but we’ve found that not everyone knows us beyond towing. So, Hi 👋! We’re AAA Washington. We’re Pacific Northwestians too. We’re still the best at towing, but we’re about so much more than that and we want everyone to know! And if our new look makes you pause and go, “Wait, that’s AAA?” Mission accomplished. We’ve been around for more than a hundred years, but we can’t be here for a hundred more without evolving. You’ll see a lot more A’s and our local roots reflected in everything we do, from the images we use to how we show up across our diverse communities. This goes beyond just a new look – though we hope you like it! It's about member experience. A new website designed with usability at the forefront. Investment in enterprise systems to streamline our operations. Expanding membership perks to more than 900 local businesses. Having advisors whose help goes beyond the road: insurance agents who craft policies for PNW life, and travel advisors who transform travel ideas into plans. We’re the same AAA Washington you know and love, but so much better! We don’t have one A. We have three! And three is more than one. Discover how More A’s Means Better Ways for you at bit.ly/Better_WAAAys  

AAA Washington is a 2024 PSBJ Best Workplace! This marks our second consecutive year ranked in the Top 25 Best Workplaces by the Puget Sound Business Journal (PSBJ) among companies with 250+ employees. Twenty employees had the honor of attending the award ceremony at T-Mobile Park and celebrating with the Mariners Moose! This achievement reflects our ongoing commitment to fostering an exceptional workplace culture that prioritizes personal and career growth, work-life balance, and a motivating, diverse environment.

We were excited to work with Sir Mix-A-Lot because he’s so much more than a rapper, just like we’re so much more than towing! And yes, he was willing to change his name.

It’s easy to assume we’re all about cars when we’re so known for towing. But we’re more than that. We believe that however you get around, there should be safe options. This summer we focused on biking. We sponsored the Tour de Whatcom and the 11th Annual Lake to Lake Bike Ride in Bellevue; two cycling events that encourage our community to get out and ride! Both events are non-competitive and meant to be social rides. Each offers different route options, with routes on the Tour de Whatcom ranging from 22 miles to 100 miles and the Lake to Lake offering an 8-mile and 24-mile route. Bike safety is always important, so we made a donation to Bike Works for helmets and hosted a bicycle helmet fitting event for our employees. We also have bike rodeo kits now available for borrowing. Bike rodeos allow kids to practice and develop skills to become better, safer and more confident bicyclists. These kits are available to schools and other organizations. They have everything needed to host a bicycle rodeo event. If interested, please email schoolsafetypatrol@aaawa.com PS – Speaking of bikes, don’t forget AAA Membership helps bikes too! We’re not bike mechanics, but if you run into a problem, we’ll pick up you and your bike.

Great news! Washington state just took a significant step in making electric cars more accessible with a new instant electric vehicle (EV) rebate program. Under this program, lower-income drivers – WA residents earning up to 300% of the federal poverty level – can receive $5,000 off a new EV or $2,500 off a used EV at the time of purchase from a dealer. The program also includes an incentive of up to $9,000 for a lease on a new EV, or up to $2,500 off a lease on a used EV. 

Finding ways to encourage safe driving to your teen is not always easy, but there are programs to help! One of these is the Teens in the Driver Seat program, where teens can earn points for safe driving to be redeemed for gift cards. Teens in the Driver Seat is a peer-to-peer program focusing solely on traffic safety and addressing all major risks for this age group. Teens help shape the program and are responsible for implementing it and educating their peers and parents. Any teen can get involved by simply downloading the “You in the Driver Seat” app to begin earning points and reaching gift card milestones! Your teen’s school may also participate in the Teens in the Driver Seat program that they can get involved with during the school year. Find out if your school participates here: https://lnkd.in/g_smSmhQ Summer is an especially important time to prioritize traffic safety with your teen. School’s out, teens are on the road more and likely to have friends in the car.

We are thrilled to announce that our SoDo Fleet Facility is now EnviroStars certified! With this accomplishment, AAA Washington now has two locations recognized for their strong environmental commitments – SoDo and our corporate headquarters. EnviroStars certification recognizes Washington businesses’ dedication to sustainable practices. Certification looks different depending on the kind of business, with an emphasis on high impact actions at no-to-low cost. For our SoDo facility, our actions focused on pollution prevention, proper waste management, water and energy conservation, and minimizing toxic chemicals. AAA Washington is committed to making good choices for our members, business, communities, and planet – one way we’re doing this is through reducing our environmental impact and supporting a healthy, sustainable community for all. A huge shout out to our incredible team for their unwavering commitment to environmentally friendly practices, from proper disposal of oil and solvents to minimizing idling time. Your efforts are making a tangible difference! Thank you to the EnviroStars program for recognizing our SoDo business and for your continued support in incorporating and elevating sustainable business practices!

We’re proud to share this year’s AAA School Safety Patrol Hall of Fame inductees! These 10 exemplary patrollers stand out as leaders among their peers in modeling good patrol behavior and taking active roles in keeping their classmates safe. Congratulations and welcome to the 2024 AAA School Safety Patrol Hall of Fame! • Matty Rogers, Moran Prairie Elementary, Spokane • Elide Ortiz-Padilla, Enterprise Elementary, Federal Way • Karijalena Johnstone, Oak Harbor Intermediate, Oak Harbor • Haven Hepner, Grant Elementary, East Wenatchee • Brielle Schaber, Indian Trail Elementary, Spokane • Phillipa Bartsch, Echo Lake Elementary, Shoreline • Wolf Geide, Queen Anne Elementary, Seattle • Quinn Kortman, Lakeland Hills Elementary, Auburn • Aubrie Kartchner, Marcus Whitman Elementary, Richland • Kellen Caldelaria, Balboa Elementary, Spokane It’s also important to acknowledge the contribution of our AAA School Safety Patrol Advisors to Patrollers’ safety and education. This year we’re proud to recognize two advisors! The annual “School Safety Patrol Advisor of the Year” was awarded Debby Smith from Moran Prairie Elementary in Spokane, Washington We also awarded the first “AAA School Safety Patrol Legend” award to Mark Owen from Echo Lake Elementary in Shoreline, Washington. “The AAA School Safety Patrol Legend Award is a celebration of those who have made an indelible mark on the AAA School Safety Patrol program within their community,” said Erin Rogers, community relations program manager. “After 30 years of service as a School Safety Patrol Advisor, Mark is retiring, and we are beyond proud of the work he has put into making his school a safer place. For three decades, he has shown the Safety Patrollers what it means to be an exemplary leader.”

Happy Pride! This year, we kicked off our celebrations by joining Spokane Pride Parade. It’s our third year being part of this wonderful event and the positive energy it brings. Our employees also showed their passion for Pride and sustainability at a Seward Park Beach Clean-up, a collaborative event between Seattle Pride and the Puget Soundkeepers. Collectively, over 100 lbs of trash were picked up! We’d like to give a big shout out to our employees who joined these events and showed allyship in their own way.

It's wonderful to see this highlight for two Shoreline AAA School Safety Patrol rock stars - Philippa Bartsch and Mark Owens! Philippa is one of ten 2024 inductees into the AAA School Safety Patrol Hall of Fame and Mark was awarded the AAA School Safety Patrol Legend Award recognizing his 30+ years of service as a School Safety Patrol Advisor at Echo Lake Elementary School. Congratulations!