Submitted
The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) announced Wednesday that GEICO is the new sponsor of the INDOT Hoosier Helper Safety Service Patrol. The sponsorship announcement comes just in time for the celebration of the Hoosier Helper program’s 30th anniversary. With GEICO support, the patrol will continue to provide vital services to motorists in need and improve mobility on the state’s highest trafficked highways for years to come.
With traffic volumes continuing to rebound toward pre-pandemic levels across the state, the services rendered by the Hoosier Helpers sponsored by GEICO are crucial in helping to save lives on Indiana highways. Despite extended work-from-home patterns causing shifts in commute times, speeds and crashes are up and the need for the Indiana DOT Hoosier Helpers sponsored by GEICO is now more important than ever.
“The safety of motorists, law enforcement and men and women who build and maintain our highways is at the heart of INDOT’s mission,” said Joe McGuinness, INDOT Commissioner. “Hoosier Helpers have provided vital service to motorists and served as a valued partner to law enforcement and construction and maintenance crews for 30 years and we’re excited to continue our commitment to safety and service with GEICO as our sponsor.”
The U.S. Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) consider the Hoosier Helpers and other Safety Service Patrols to be “one of the most effective Traffic Incident Management components.” In the United States, 20 percent of crashes result from a previous crash, and for every minute a primary incident remains a hazard, the likelihood of a secondary crash increases by 2.8 percent. INDOT considers the Hoosier Helpers to be vital in their efforts to keep traffic moving safety.
A member of the Berkshire Hathaway family of companies, GEICO is a stable company that was founded 85 years ago, employs more than 1,600 associates in Indiana, and consistently works to make driving safer for all travelers. Through sponsorship of the Hoosier Helpers, GEICO continues its focus on safety by supporting INDOT.
“GEICO has always been dedicated to our customers and doing what we can to make transportation in Indiana and around the country as safe as possible,” said GEICO Regional Vice President Yvonne Obeng-Curwood. “We’re excited to support the Indiana DOT in their mission to make roads safer.”
The INDOT Hoosier Helpers sponsored by GEICO will cover 177 miles of roadway in the state, seven days a week, with patrol hours varied by day and coverage area. Official highway signs informing motorists of the patrolled routes will now feature the GEICO logo.
The patrol will be available to help keep drivers safe by changing flat tires, fixing minor mechanical problems, providing minimal amounts of fuel, removing debris from the road and providing emergency medical assistance. Stranded motorists are relieved when the Hoosier Helpers respond to their need, seemingly out of the blue.
One assisted motorist said the following: “I got a flat tire on I-65 today on my way home from work. It was raining and cold. I tried my best to inflate my tire with Fix-A-Flat and my mini air pump, but I had no success. Approximately 10 minutes later, Luis from INDOT showed up. He was very professional and he replaced my flat in less than 5 minutes. He was a lifesaver today because I had no clue what to do after my initial attempts to repair my tire didn’t work. This is a valuable and much needed service. I sincerely thank INDOT and Luis for rescuing me today from an awful situation.”
The main priority of the Hoosier Helpers sponsored by GEICO is quick clearance, in an effort to increase throughput and reduce secondary crashes. The service also provides a multitude of additional benefits including reducing wasted fuel and pollution by alleviating congestion. Sponsorship of this Safety Service Patrol aligns with GEICO’s longstanding commitment to communities across the country by helping conserve energy and protect the environment.
The INDOT Hoosier Helper program began in September 1991 in Northwest Indiana and expanded to the Indianapolis Metro in 1997, and to Southern Indiana in 1999. Since the program began, the Hoosier Helper program has:
- More than 20 million miles driven
- Over 1.2 million incident responses
- More than 400,000 motorists assisted
- Over 650,000 hours patrolled
More information can be found at safetypatrolinfo.com and on the INDOT Hoosier Helpers website; 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 patrols using #GEICOSafetyPatrol.