National insurance provider GEICO is the new sponsor of the New Jersey Department of Transportation’s Safety Service Patrol or SSP. Created in 1994, SSP is a free service that assists motorists whose vehicles have become disabled as a result of a crash or a mechanical failure as well as providing safety for emergency responders.
[Above photo by the New Jersey DOT]
“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,” NJDOT Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said in a statement.
“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,” she added.
The SSP patrols 225 miles of interstates and state highways throughout New Jersey, extending to over 394 miles during the winter season. Since its inception, the SSP has responded to more than 1.6 million incidents on New Jersey’s highly traveled road network.
On average, it responds 55,000 incidents each year – changing flat tires, jump-starting cars, providing minimal amounts of fuel, removing debris from the road, and making small safety repairs.
In addition to assisting motorists, the 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.
GEICO has taken over sponsorship of similar safety service patrols provided by state departments of transportation in the last few months.
In November 2021, GEICO took over sponsorship of the 23-year old Freeway Service Team operated by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. It also took over sponsorship of the Nevada Department of Transportation’s Freeway Service Patrol that same month.