LUMBERTON — Help will soon be on the way for motorists strandedalong Interstate 95 in North Carolina.

Starting today the N.C. Department of Transportation will expand its popular State Farm Safety Patrol service for the first time to a large swath of I-95. The patrols will cover Robeson, Cumberland, Harnett and Johnston counties, and the safety trucks will respond to major incidents along I-95.

The primary purpose of the patrols is to clear stalled vehicles that are slowing down traffic or pose a hazard on the highways. The safety patrol trucks have lighted arrow boards, warning lights and supplies to quickly aid stranded drivers. Last year, the patrols responded to more than 55,000 incidents across the state.

NCDOT employees operate the trucks and offer services such as changing flat tires, jump-starting batteries and providing gas for motorists in a pinch. The patrols also assist in vehicle crashes and help pick up roadside debris.

There is no charge to the public for this service.

“I am delighted that we are able to expand this important roadside service to parts of I-95 to assist the traveling public and to help keep this busy highway safer when a vehicle breaks down,” said Terry Hutchens, a Fayetteville resident who serves on the state’s Transportation Board.

Stranded drivers can dial *HP (or *47) on their mobile phones to call for assistance.

On I-95, the safety patrols will operate seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Two trucks will patrol Mondays through Thursdays. The number of safety drivers will double on the weekend due to heavier traffic volumes.

The service – also called the department’s Incident Management Assistance Patrol (IMAP) program – already covers certain highways around Raleigh, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and Charlotte, among other areas of the state. State Farm became a co-sponsor of the program after the General Assembly required NCDOT to study how to offset some of the costs borne by the taxpayers in 2014.

“This service underscores the continued commitment State Farm has to auto safety while helping people recover from the unexpected,” said Ed Gold, State Farm advertising director.

Free aid includes changing flat tire, providing gasoline

Beth Lawrence

Staff reporter