State Farm Helps New Hampshire Expand Highway Safety Patrol

The state of New Hampshire is expanding its Highway Safety Patrol, which helps stranded motorists.

The patrol is now operating in Nashua, Merrimack, Bedford, Hooksett and Concord.

The expansion, which started Thursday, brings in the F.E. Everett Turnpike.

The Eagle Tribune reports Transportation Department spokesman William Boynton said the goal of the patrol is to reduce the potential for significant traffic tie-ups by clearing minor incidents, removing debris and assisting motorists in need of minor repairs.

He said the patrol alerts the DOT traffic management center of problems, which then communicates with state police and emergency responders.

The state has had a patrol on Interstate 93 from Salem to Manchester for five years and branched out to Interstate 95 from Portsmouth to Seabrook two years ago.

The program, which is sponsored by State Farm, has averaged about 100 roadside stops per month.

The department has collected and posted dozens of traveler testimonials, such as one from an a 82-year-old driver who needed help changing a tire and another from a driver who “was having a bad day to begin with,” then ran out of gas on Interstate 93 before getting some help.