Motorist Aid
Call Boxes
Roadside call boxes provide an important service for motorists without cell phones, and in areas with unreliable cellular reception.
Our call boxes have digital cellular service with fully functioning TTY keyboards and screens to ensure there is access for those who are speech impaired.
Our network of 70 call boxes allows you to report a road hazard, flat tire or mechanical breakdown. Due to declining use and increased cell phone ownership, many call boxes have been removed or taken offline.
Freeway Service Patrol (FSP)
The Freeway Service Patrol (FSP) roves segments of Highway 1 and Highway 17 looking to help stranded motorists on the highway during weekday commute hours and on a limited schedule on weekends.
FSP provides quick fixes to get motorists up and running or towed off the highway, such as changing a flat tire, jump-starting a vehicle, or providing 1 gallon of gas. All FSP services are free of charge to motorists.
The program also benefits travelers who are backed-up behind disabled vehicles on the highway by quickly removing the disabled vehicles and allowing traffic to return to normal conditions. The FSP Program has a cost benefit ratio of 4 to 1. FSP service is funded in part by DMV fees, Measure D, and SB1.
Have you been helped by FSP? Send us your completed survey card in the mail – postage is prepaid. An electronic format is also available here.
Safe on 17
On Highway 17, the CHP encourages drivers to obey the rules of the road and drive safely. Extra CHP enforcement is a critical component of the Safe on 17 Program, which is designed to reduce the number of injury and fatal collisions on the Highway 17 Safety Corridor. Construction improvements and public education also improve safety on Highway 17. The Safe on 17 Task Force tracks injuries and fatal collisions and works together to support strategies to improve safety on Highway 17. The 2019 Safe on 17 Annual Report provides additional information about the program.
Partner Agencies
These motorist aid programs are provided by the RTC Service Authority for Freeway Emergencies (SAFE) free of charge in coordination with Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol.
The RTC funds these programs using a combination of SAFE funds generated by a $1 fee on your vehicle registration, Freeway Service Patrol funds provided by Caltrans, and local Measure D funds. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) also provides funding for CHP extra enforcement to cover Highway 17 in Santa Clara County.
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