Newly sponsored Southwest Florida region includes Sarasota, Fort Myers and Naples
The Florida Department of Transportation today announced that State Farm is the new sponsor of the Road Rangers service patrol in the Southwest Florida region, which is south of Tampa including Sarasota, Fort Myers and Naples. The patrol performs a vital service, keeping traffic moving by assisting drivers in times of need, reducing pollution, alleviating congestion and helping prevent secondary crashes. The Florida DOT Road Rangers Sponsored by State Farm are expected to attend to over 30,000 incidents locally in 2019, and the patrol drivers are often referred to as “lifesavers” and “heroes” by the grateful motorists who are assisted along Florida’s highways and interstates.
This sponsorship expansion complements the existing State Farm sponsorship of Road Ranger service patrols in Orlando with service on I-4 and Palm Beach with service on I-95, as well as the full Tampa area patrol covering I-4, I-75, I-275 and the airport exchange. State Farm is also the sponsor of the State Farm Safety Patrol along Florida’s Turnpike, which includes coverage along the Mainline, as well as the Sawgrass Expressway and the Homestead Extension in southern Florida plus the Veterans Expressway/Suncoast Parkway north of Tampa, and Florida’s Turnpike portions of the Beachline Expressway, Seminole Expressway, Southern Connector Extension and Western Beltway in the Orlando area. State Farm has sponsored the patrols covering Florida’s Turnpike and Sawgrass Expressway since 2005.
“The Road Rangers are an important component of the Florida Department of Transportation’s mission to increase safety along I-75, I-4 and I-275.”, said District 1 Secretary L.K. Nandam. “The critical service that they provide to Florida’s residents and visitors increases safety and mobility along our most heavily travelled roadways.”
The Florida DOT Road Rangers Sponsored by State Farm patrol helps to reduce congestion and enhance safety on Florida’s roadways by proactively patrolling the highways, responding to crashes/incidents, changing a flat tire, jump-starting a car, providing a small amount of gasoline, and making small safety repairs. The patrol will also provide traffic control for scene stabilization, deliver an initial maintenance response (debris clean up, spill control, etc.), and communicate with law enforcement agencies regarding incidents.
“Our support of the Florida DOT Road Rangers program embodies our ‘good neighbor’ philosophy,” said Ed Gold, State Farm advertising director. “It also underscores the continued commitment State Farm has to auto safety, while helping people recover from the unexpected, which is the heart of the State Farm mission.”
State Farm support helps to offset the costs used for operation of the program. The long-running Florida DOT Southwest Florida Road Rangers program is a free service offered to all drivers traveling on covered routes. Coverage hours vary, with some portions patrolled 12 hours per day 7 days per week, while other areas are patrolled 24 hours per day. Specific coverage hours are as follows: I-75 in Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee Counties (6am-7pm: Mon-Fri and 9am-9pm: Sat & Sun) & Collier County (MM 49 – 105: 24/7) and (MM 105 – 115: 6am-7pm: Mon-Fri and 9am-9pm: Sat & Sun); I-4 in Polk County (6am-7pm: Mon-Fri and 9am-9pm: Sat & Sun); I-275 in Manatee County including Sunshine Skyway Bridge (7am-7pm: Mon-Fri and 11am-7pm: Sat & Sun). Disabled motorists can dial *FHP (*347) and the Florida DOT Road Rangers Sponsored by State Farm unit will be notified by the Florida Highway Patrol.
State Farm also sponsors Safety Patrols in Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Florida motorists can learn more about the program at www.AssistPatrol.com
