PA Turnpike Commission Announces GEICO as New Sponsor of Roadway Safety Patrol
Safety patrol sponsor is latest partner in “keys to safety”.
HARRISBURG, PA – The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) today announced GEICO as the new sponsor of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Safety Patrol. This fleet of safety patrol vehicles covers the turnpike’s 564-mile roadway operation and responds to customers in need of assistance.
“Customer safety is the core of our mission,” said PA Turnpike CEO Mark Compton. “We are so pleased to welcome GEICO as our partner in serving this mission-critical priority. GEICO is the new sponsor of the PA Turnpike Safety Patrol which is our responder fleet that provides roadside assistance to customers at any time, day or night, and is only a phone call away.”
The safety patrol is a fleet of dedicated vehicles, operated by turnpike personnel, to provide first responder service. The safety patrol vehicles are now sponsored by GEICO and motorists will be able recognize them by their PA Turnpike and GEICO logos. The patrol actively surveilles the roadway, responds to incidents, and communicates with the Turnpike Operations Center regarding any other needed response. Customers can access this assistance by dialing *11 when on the turnpike.
“It’s an honor for GEICO to sponsor the Pennsylvania Turnpike Safety Patrol vehicles,” said GEICO’s Senior Vice President Don Robinson. “Whether it’s a catastrophic event or fender bender, GEICO prides itself on being there when people need us. This partnership will benefit motorists across the Keystone state by reducing the likelihood of a vehicle incident leading to additional accidents.”
The PTC established the safety patrol, then known as the First Responder Motorist Assistance Program, in 2005. Since the program began, safety patrol personnel have:
• Surveilled more than 16 million miles,
• Responded to more than 540,000 incidents,
• Assisted more than 628,000 motorists.
Compton noted that it’s so important for turnpike customers to know the keys to safety and understand what to do when the need arises. Most importantly, customers in need should dial *11, identify their location on the roadway, and remain safely in their vehicle to wait for assistance.
More information can be found at SafetyPatrolinfo.com and at the PA Turnpike Safety Patrol. GEICO Living is also a great source for auto safety related articles and tips. Assisted motorists are encouraged to share about the help they received by posting to social media. Motorists will be able to tag the patrol using #GEICOSafetyPatrol.
CONTACT:
Rosanne Placey, rplacey@paturnpike.com, 717-675-4362
Stephanie Driscoll, stephanie.driscoll@chameleon.co, 781-535-8489