The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Safety Service Patrol has a new sponsor — GEICO. The sponsorship offsets operational costs and includes the insurance company’s logo on the fleet of incident management vehicles.

The Safety Service Patrol (SSP) was created in 1994 as a free service to assist motorists whose vehicles have become disabled because of a crash or a mechanical failure, and to provide safety for emergency responders. The SSP patrols 225 miles of interstate and state highways throughout New Jersey, extending to over 394 miles during the winter season. It responds to an average of about 55,000 incidents each year; operators help 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.

“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. “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.”

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. This also helps reduce secondary crashes and has the additional benefit of alleviating congestion.

The GEICO sponsorship allows the NJDOT to improve SSP facilities, conduct research, and purchase new and innovative tools. 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.