If you’ve ever needed roadway assistance on an Illinois tollway chances are a Highway Emergency Lane Patrol truck came to your rescue.
This year, the trucks are sporting brand new paint jobs that introduce GEICO as the new exclusive sponsor of the H.E.L.P. program, according to a statement from the Illinois Tollway.
The trucks are often first to arrive at a traffic incident on the tollway and provide an array of services to stranded motorists, including changing flat tires, providing jump starts, adding fuel and calling for tow trucks.
In 2022, H.E.L.P. trucks patrolled more than 1.1 million miles on the tollway and assisted more than 27,000 drivers, the agency said. The trucks typically provide assistance within 15 minutes.
“The Illinois Tollway is pleased to launch this partnership with GEICO that supports our vital roadside assistance service for customers on our roadways,” Illinois Tollway Executive Director Cassaundra Rouse said in the statement. “Safety is always our highest priority, and we know that GEICO shares our commitment to providing rapid, effective assistance to drivers who need help while using our roads.”
The trucks patrol the tollway system from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tollway customers who need roadway assistance should dial *999.
