AAA taps GPS technology to curb roadside deaths

New system seeks to curb roadside accidents (AAA)

Auto club group AAA has integrated roadside assistance calls with the Waze GPS system in an effort to counter roadside wrecks and deaths.

The new feature is available in 14 states, including Georgia.

Soon, drivers who use Waze or Google Maps for navigation in certain states will receive an alert when they approach a AAA member and AAA technician on the roadside, giving them advanced notice to slow down or move over as they pass the scene.

The auto group responds to over 30 million calls for roadside assistance nationwide (one call every two seconds).

“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, said. “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.”

New system

  1. 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.
  2. Approaching drivers who use the Waze or Google Maps GPS software will receive an alert that there’s a disabled vehicle ahead.
  3. When the roadside technician arrives on-location, the alert automatically updates to warn approaching drivers that an ACG service technician is ahead.

The new GPS mapping system is now available in the auto club group’s 14 states, including: Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and portions of Indiana and Minnesota.