Florida Road Rangers Will Assist Drivers in Need

Have you ever had your car breakdown while driving on the expressway? How about having your car broken down on the turnpike during rush hour with your small children in the car? And you sit there, watching all the cars zip by you, in disbelief that it happened to you. It can be really frustrating especially if your not mechanically inclined to know what the trouble might be. For the past few years, on certain parts of the Florida turnpike and expressways, relief has been given to motorists who have fallen under this dilemma. The program is called "Road Rangers".

Road Rangers will come to your rescue during your time of need. Road Rangers has become a crucial tool for the Regional Traffic Management Center to resolve these auto breakdown issues. They are a free service for those who travel on specific roads in Florida. The Regional Traffic Management Center monitors with cameras areas around for Interstate 4, from Osceola/Polk County line near Disney to I-95 in Daytona Beach. If they view a disabled vehicle, they will dispatch one of their Road Rangers out. As of July 2006, there are 111 vehicles in the fleet.

Another way, to get their attention is to dial *FHP on your cell phone and a Road Ranger will be sent out to your area if it is within the boundary of their guidelines. When you do place a call, make sure you give them the location by locating a mile marker and the direction you are traveling.

If you don't have a cell phone, there are motorists aid boxes located every mile along these highways. These boxes do not have voice communication services. A signal is sent to the Florida Highway Patrol which in turn transmits the service.

The Road Rangers are well marked and similar to wrecker or toe trucks with uniformed employees that will assist you in areas of:
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Minor vehicle repairs (tire changes, fuel/fluid replacement, belt and hose replacement, etc.)
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Removal of vehicles from travel lanes
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Securing minor, non-injury accident scenes
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Debris removal from the roadway
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Free use of a cell phone to contact assistance
Road Rangers are equipped with first aid kits, two ton jacks, and an air compressor. They operate twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. They rescue around 3,000 motorists each month. Many travellers are unaware of this service.

Road Rangers will assist the Florida Highway Patrol with incidents including blocked lanes or debris on the highway.

Another significant piece of information to assist you with traffic problems is using Florida's 511 program. If you have a cell phone, you can dial 511 and an automatic system will come on. You can provide them the destination you want to go to and see if there are any traffic tie ups of any kind. This personally helped me when I was trying to get out of Florida going north towards Georgia during the Bugaboo Fires. The main Highway (I-75) connecting Georgia to Florida was closed on and off while firefighters were trying to contain the fires. With the use of 511, I was able to time the travel to my best advantage.

Knowing about Florida's Road Rangers and 511, can provide you with more confidence during your stay.