Illinois Tollway Introduces New Look For HELP Trucks Sponsored by GEICO
The Illinois Tollway is kicking off the New Year with a new look for its Highway Emergency Lane Patrol (H.E.L.P.) trucks. The new look introduces GEICO as the new, exclusive sponsor of the Tollway’s roadway assistance program for customers in need.
“The Illinois Tollway is pleased to launch this partnership with GEICO that supports our vital roadside assistance service for customers on our roadways,” said Illinois Tollway Executive Director Cassaundra Rouse. “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 innovative sponsorship provides financial support for Tollway H.E.L.P. truck operations while creating a unique partnership to help promote roadway safety and the services offered by the Tollway’s H.E.L.P. program. Motorists need not have insurance with GEICO to use the program.
“GEICO is proud of this new partnership with H.E.L.P. GEICO has a long history of promoting driver safety and this opportunity helps us contribute to making the state's highways safer for Illinoisans and those passing through,” said Frank Pickering, GEICO’s Vice President of Operations, Physical Damage. “Drivers can also do their part – by putting that phone down and driving alert, not distracted.”
The H.E.L.P. program plays a critical role on the Tollway system by quickly removing disabled vehicles from active traffic lanes, safeguarding those drivers while reducing the risk of secondary crashes.
H.E.L.P trucks are often the first to arrive at a traffic incident and provide an array of services to stranded motorists that include changing flat tires, providing jump starts, adding coolant and fuel, and calling for tow trucks.
H.E.L.P. trucks sponsored by GEICO patrol the 294-mile Tollway system from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday, and typically provide customers with roadside assistance within 15 minutes.
In 2022, H.E.L.P. trucks patrolled more than 1.1 million miles on the Tollway and assisted more than 27,000 drivers.
Tollway customers who need roadway assistance should dial *999. Drivers can learn more about the program and provide feedback online.
Customers who receive roadway assistance from H.E.L.P. trucks are encouraged to share information about the assistance they received by posting to social media using the hashtags #HELPtruck and #GEICOSafetyPatrol.
As an additional service, the Tollway offers the H.E.L.P. Truck Tracker to allow drivers who have requested roadside assistance to identify where the patrol trucks are along the road and when they are headed in their direction. The Tracker is active during hours of H.E.L.P. Truck operations.
The Tollway reminds all drivers that they are required by law to slow down and, if possible, move over for any stopped vehicle that has its hazard lights flashing. The Waze traffic app posts the location of HELP trucks that are stopped with their emergency lights activated, providing additional warning to drivers near that location to slow down and move over.
About GEICO
GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company), the second-largest auto insurer in the U.S., was founded in 1936 and insures more than 28 million vehicles in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. A member of the Berkshire Hathaway family of companies, GEICO constantly strives to make lives better by protecting people against unexpected events while saving them money and providing an outstanding customer experience. Along with personal auto insurance, commercial auto and personal umbrella coverages are also available. Homeowners, renters, condo, flood, identity theft, term life, and more coverages are written through non-affiliated insurance companies and are secured through the GEICO Insurance Agency, Inc. Visit geico.com for a quote or to learn more.
About the Illinois Tollway
The Illinois Tollway is a user-fee system that receives no state or federal funds for maintenance and operations. The agency maintains and operates 294 miles of roadways in 12 counties in Northern Illinois, including the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88), the Veterans Memorial Tollway (I-355), the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90), the Tri-State Tollway (I-94/I-294/I-80) and the Illinois Route 390 Tollway.