HERO driver sheds light on distracted driving

ATLANTA - FOX 5 hitched a ride with a HERO unit driver to examine how bad Georgia’s distracted driving problem really is.

Andre Todd is the person who is ready with a gallon of gas, to help you with a flat or to keep traffic from slamming into first responders.  And he said he has seen a lot of distracted driving on the roadways.

"When you come in, you really don't have an idea,” Todd said. “If you see rain, you know it's going to be a long day. If you see snow, you know it's going to be a long day."

Todd said he knows drivers are not always paying attention like they should. The result is more crashes and more traffic.

"Everybody is in a hurry to get to there, and a lot of times they want to move faster than traffic is actually moving," he said.

Todd said drivers who know the area are speeding, and become impatient with drivers who don't know where they're going.

He added last year was one of the highest years for fatalities, and this year is not starting out much better.

"I've never seen so many distractions like you see nowadays," Todd said.

More than 1,000 people died on Georgia's roadways in 2015.