TRENTON, NJ — New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti announced March 10 that GEICO is the new sponsor of the NJDOT Safety Service Patrol, a free service created in 1994 to assist motorists whose vehicles have become disabled as a result of a crash or a mechanical failure, and to provide safety for emergency responders.
“Public-private partnerships, like this one between the New Jersey Department of Transportation and GEICO, are an effective tool in providing motorists on our roadways with a high level of service and safety,” Gutierrez-Scaccetti said. “With GEICO’s support, motorists and first responders can be assured that our dedicated SSP drivers will be on the road to assist them in times of need.”
Since its inception, SSP has responded to more than 1.6 million incidents on New Jersey’s highly traveled road network. SSP responds to an average of about 55,000 incidents each year, helping to keep drivers safe by changing flat tires, jump-starting cars, providing minimal amounts of fuel, removing debris from the road and making small safety repairs.
“GEICO always looks for opportunities to make roadways safer for all,” GEICO Assistant Vice President Frank Pickering said. “GEICO is happy to partner with commissioner Gutierrez-Scaccetti and the members of the SSP to contribute to the safety of Garden State drivers.”
In addition to assisting motorists, SSP works with the New Jersey State Police and other first responders to clear incidents and control traffic around incident scenes and weather-related emergencies to make sure roadways remain open and passable. This is imperative to support a safe incident work area for responders. This also helps reduce secondary crashes and has the additional benefit of alleviating congestion, which reduces pollution and wasted fuel.
By offsetting operational costs, the GEICO sponsorship allows the NJDOT to improve SSP facilities, conduct research, and purchase new and innovative tools. SSP drivers patrol Monday through Friday from 4:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. plus weekends and some holidays from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Official highway signs informing motorists of the patrolled routes will now feature the GEICO logo. The service is provided free of charge through the sponsorship with GEICO and funding from the Federal Highway Administration.
More information about SSP can be found at SafetyPatrolinfo.com and the NJDOT website.
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