TAMPA, FLA — The Highways and byways are where AAA workers spend 90% of their time, especially during the holiday season.
It’s what Theo Whitehead said he likes most about his job, but “it is dangerous.”
He’s been working for AAA for more than 20 years.
“When I first get out of the truck, it’s like if it’s a highway, call you on pens and needles,” he said. “You’re trying to keep everybody safe on the scene. I want to go home the same way I came, living, walking with all of my body parts.”
Unfortunately, that’s not the case for a lot of people in his line of work.
According to AAA, nearly 350 people are killed on the road every year, and at least two tow truck drivers are killed every month. They see a sharp increase in that number around this time of year because more drivers are on the road.
“This is a big problem,” said AAA spokesperson Mark Jenkins. “It’s something that we’ve been constantly striving to work toward preventing from happening on a daily basis.”
One way of doing that is by using GPS apps like Waze and Google Maps. Thanks to new software, AAA will be able to alert drivers approaching a disabled vehicle or a roadside technician like Whitehead. It gives drivers an opportunity to slow down or move to a safer lane.
“Great, it’s another tool we have,” Whitehead said. “It keeps us safe.”
Drivers are all for it as well.
“We have this technology available so we might as well utilize it to save lives to help people and make life more efficient,” said Linda Gatewood.
Currently, the system is active in 14 states, including Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, and several states in the Midwest.
"Why are you not giving us our money back? You owe it to us — just pay us.”
After waiting over eight months for a refund from a medical clinic, an ABC Action News viewer reached out to consumer investigative reporter Susan El-Khoury for help.
