South Carolina - Contacting South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) roadside assistance crews has become a little easier, just in time for holiday travel.
The SCDOT has added a new feature on its 511 App to allow motorists to contact SHEP for roadside assistance. Selecting the “SCDOT SHEP Roadside Assistance” tab connects users with the closest dispatch phone number.
SCDOT’s State Highway Emergency Program, known as SHEP, has helped about 800,000 motorists across the state since its inception in 1996.
“The motorists in our state know that when they see the blue trucks coming, help is on the way,” said Secretary of Transportation Christy A. Hall, “Their impacts to the state’s economy, the public and the flow of traffic is countless and without measure.”
Vehicles broken down on the side of the interstate can quickly cause traffic to back up for miles; the sooner they’re helped and on their way, the sooner traffic gets back to normal. SHEP responders are able to quickly change tires, perform basic repairs carry small amounts of gasoline for those who’ve run out.
SHEP responders are also trained in clearing wrecked vehicles from travel lanes.
SCDOT’s 511 app, which is free and available with iOS and Android devices, has current travel information including live streaming traffic cameras.
The SCDOT 511 website is http://www.511sc.org/
SHEP can also be reached by dialing *HP.
For more information on SCDOT SHEP, visit http://www.scdot.org/getting/shep.aspx
