If you ever find yourself broken down on the side of the road, it can be a frustrating experience. Things can be even more so if it’s out on the freeway, but the Nevada Department of Transportation has a service to help out those unlucky drivers that are stranded.
Freeway service patrolman Scott Torres is tasked with keeping the freeway clear and running smoothly, and a lot of the times that means helping stranded vehicles on the side of the road.
“Motorists sometimes run out of gas, or car accidents, flat tires, we try to keep it moving as much as possible," said Torres.
"The freeway service patrol operators are truly the unsung heroes of our freeway, their ultimate goal is keeping our metro Reno interstates running safely and smoothly," said Nevada Department of Transportation Public Information Officer Meg Ragonese.
The FPS was put in place 15 years ago, and do everything from provide up to 5 gallons of gas, change tires and even some minor vehicle repair, all in the goal to keep traffic flowing, and all free of charge to the motorist.
“Within the first three months of 2018, our Freeway Service Patrol was actually able to help out with more than 2,300 different incidents on our freeways," said Ragonese.
But NDOT also recommends you do proper maintenance checks on your car before you hit the road, that way you don't need to have a visit from Scott on the side of the highway.
“Coolant, tire tread, make sure there is nothing showing, wires...make sure you have a spare, that's a big thing we run into is no spare," said Torres.
If you do end up stranded on the side of the road remember to stay in your vehicle! And if it’s an emergency, NDOT asks that you call 911, otherwise you can call *NHP and they can dispatch a unit to you.
