AAA now uses GPS technology to reduce roadside deaths

STATE

Hoping to prevent unnecessary crashes and fatalities Waze GPS mapping system now alerts drivers in 14 states including Michigan of AAA roadside vehicles ahead. COURTESY THE AUTO CLUB GROUP

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By Gina Joseph

gjoseph@medianewsgroup.com

The Auto Club Group (ACG) is taking action to prevent roadside crashes and deaths.

Every year, AAA responds to more than 30 million calls for roadside assistance across the country, which is about one call every two seconds, and every month, two emergency responders are killed.

“Far too many deaths occur because drivers are either not paying attention or do not realize they’re approaching someone on the roadside,” Scott VerBracken, vice president of automotive services for AAA — The Auto Club Group said, in a news release.

Hoping to decrease the unnecessary roadside crashes and fatalities AAA has integrated its roadside assistance calls with the Waze GPS system. Drivers who use Waze or Google Maps for navigation in select states will receive an alert when they approach a AAA member and AAA technician on the roadside, allowing motorists to slow down or move over as they approach the scene.

“We are excited about this technological advancement and believe it will give drivers the warning they need to move over and save the lives of our members and employees,” VerBracken said.

How it works

• When a AAA member has car trouble and requests roadside assistance, AAA’s automated technology will pinpoint their location within the Waze and Google Maps GPS mapping systems.

• Approaching drivers who use the Waze or Google Maps GPS software will receive an alert that there’s a disabled vehicle ahead.

• When the roadside technician arrives on-location, the alert automatically updates to warn approaching drivers that an ACG service technician is ahead.

• This GPS mapping enhancement is now active in Michigan and 13 other states including Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and portions of Indiana and Minnesota.

Waze is a free community-based navigation app that provides drivers with real-time traffic alerts and spoken turn-by-turn directions. It alerts users of upcoming road hazards, including road construction, disabled vehicles, accidents, emergency responders on the roadside, to allow motorists ample time to adapt their driving to the current road situation. This information is also used by Google Maps.

For more information, get the AAA Mobile app or visit AAA.com