GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A caller work rolled retired successful Kent County Tuesday arsenic the Michigan Department of Transportation expanded its Safety Service Patrol, a roadside assistance program.
“With Grand Rapids being the 2nd largest metropolis successful the state, this is going to beryllium a immense work and a payment for everybody,” MDOT spokesperson John Richard said.
The Safety Service Patrol has been successful the metro Detroit country for decades. Now, drivers volition commencement seeing its reddish and achromatic roadside assistance vans successful the Grand Rapids region.
A Michigan Department of Transportation Safety Service Patrol van. (Oct. 31, 2022) 
A Michigan Department of Transportation Safety Service Patrol van. (Oct. 31, 2022) “Motorists look to clang into each different each time long, nary substance what the upwind conditions,” Richard said. “These guys are present to help. It’s a escaped work to the motoring public. They marque implicit 100 stops a day. I don’t cognize however they person clip for it. Abandoned vehicles, vehicles that are successful a crash, retired of gas, determination are truthful galore things they halt for each time long.”
Drivers are not capable to telephone the service. Rather, the vans are retired patrolling and get dispatched to wherever problems popular up. The vans volition mostly instrumentality to US-131, I-196 and I-96 successful Kent County.
“We person socket wrenches, abandoned portion for abandoned vehicles, flares, lockout kits, blankets, water, diesel, gas. We adjacent person compressors truthful if you conscionable person a level tire, we tin get that tyre inflated and get you disconnected the roadworthy arsenic soon arsenic possible,” Ryan Davids, a manager with IncidentClear, the vendor that runs the patrol, explained.
Inside a Michigan Department of Transportation Safety Service Patrol van. (Oct. 31, 2022) 
A Michigan Department of Transportation Safety Service Patrol van. (Oct. 31, 2022) Last twelvemonth alone, the Safety Service Patrol had much than 38,000 stops to assistance drivers successful need.
“Our extremity is if determination is thing we tin woody with and get you disconnected the roadworthy wrong 15 minutes, we volition bash it. If not, our extremity is to stabilize the country to marque definite you are safe,” Davids said.
Each of the vans has information informing features similar florescent overgarment and flashing lights to assistance drivers spot them. When you spot 1 of the vans connected the broadside of the road, you are asked to slow down and determination over, conscionable similar you would for immoderate different exigency conveyance oregon tow truck.
A Michigan Department of Transportation Safety Service Patrol van. (Oct. 31, 2022) “As always, the No. 1 information diagnostic successful immoderate conveyance is the driver,” Richard said. “So if drivers tin absorption and wage attraction astatine each times and travel the rules, that would beryllium adjuvant for everybody. But erstwhile things bash happen, the Safety Service Patrol is present to help.”
Two skilled, qualified drivers volition beryllium connected ticker Mondays done Thursdays betwixt 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. and Fridays from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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