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Summer 2011

Finding the Right Fit: Outsourcing Safety Service Patrols

By Manya Chylinski

Private contractors run an estimated 39% of Safety Service Patrols. With more than 70% of all programs receiving funding from their state’s department of transportation,* why do agencies opt to use outside contractors in place of state employees to run their programs? Though Virginia’s first Safety Service Patrol, in northern Virginia, started in the early 1990s with state employees, over the years they have migrated to an outsourced model due to budget issues limiting the total number of staff the state could employ… Read More


A Trend Toward RFP’s for Private Operators

Increasingly states are considering hiring private operators to manage Safety Service Patrols (SSP). One of the most appealing benefits private operators offer is their ability to offset the cost for the state to run these programs and in turn make up for budget shortfalls. Despite SSP’s proven ability to improve traffic incident management, budgeting issues can often be the reason behind reducing patrol coverage, limiting patrol hours or eliminating an SSP completely… Read More


Headlights On… Paul Ponzio

Samaritania President and CEO, Paul Ponzio speaks to Safe Highway Matters about the growth of Samaritania, the benefits of implementing Samaritania in your state and how Samaritania drivers prepare for their job providing traffic incident management on America’s highways … Read More


News & Notes

A look at developments from Safety Service Patrols from state to state… Learn More


Driver Question of the Quarter

Every vehicle is configured differently. While assisting a stranded motorist with car trouble, what challenges have you faced due to the unique configuration of the motorist’s automobile? How did you resolve the situation?… Read Responses


Editor’s Note

It’s hot out there and while cars are overheating and Safety Service Patrols are on patrol to help stranded motorists in the summer heat, Safe Highway Matters’ team is hard at work researching, writing and networking the most recent developments, best practices and newsworthy information on Safety Service Patrols nationwide. It was a busy quarter with Safe Highway Matters reporting the most “News & Notes” yet from patrol coverage expansion to changes in vehicle design to sponsorship launches to SSP impersonators… Read More

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