The South Carolina Department of Transportation is expanding its free roadside assistance endeavor, the State Highway Emergency Program or SHEP service, to cover an 18-mile section of I-95 in Jasper County.
[Above photo by SCDOT]
The agency said in a statement that this expansion of its SHEP service will enhance safety and improve incident response for drivers traveling through one of South Carolina’s busiest freight and travel corridors. It also builds on the momentum of SHEP’s 30th anniversary celebration held earlier this year.
Beyond providing roadside assistance, including flat tire changes, battery jump-starts, fuel delivery, and minor mechanical assistance, SHEP responders help manage traffic incidents, reduce traffic congestion and enhance safety for all travelers.
Many state departments of transportation operate similar roadside assistance programs.
For example, the Georgia Department of Transportation recently forged a new partnership with GEICO as the statewide sponsor of the Coordinated Highway Assistance & Maintenance Program, known as “CHAMP,” and the Highway Emergency Response Operators or “HERO” program that serves the Atlanta metropolitan area.
The CHAMP and HERO patrol services on Georgia’s interstate highways help over 200,000 drivers each year and their assistance also helps alleviate traffic congestion, prevent secondary crashes, and keep traffic moving, the agency said.
Assistance is available to all drivers on covered patrol routes, with no GEICO policy required and is free for any roadway traveler on Georgia’s interstates simply by dialing 511 and requesting assistance from live operators 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
And in May, the Tennessee Department of Transportation launched a new Rural Service Patrol or RSP in Region 4 of west Tennessee, marking the next phase of a statewide expansion to bring HELP incident response to rural interstate corridors.
Currently, Tennessee DOT’s HELP trucks patrol the state’s four largest urban areas: Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Memphis. With this expansion, the Rural Service Patrol will serve Regions 2 and 4; ultimately helping cover more than 870 miles of rural interstate.
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