WEST ALABAMA, Ala. (WBRC) – As West Alabama gets busy with traffic for football season and colleges begin their fall semester, ALDOT is here to help with tips to help you with car breakdowns and keep you safe.

The Alabama Service and Assistance Patrol (ASAP) is a hit on Alabama’s roads.

You may have seen the trucks on the highways before. They are green and white and equipped with all kinds of road repair equipment, flashing lights, pop-up signs and numerous cameras to ensure the safety of ALDOT personnel and the driver of the broken-down vehicle.

“We started this service about seven years ago,” said John McWilliams, spokesman for ALDOT in West Alabama.

And since then, according to McWilliams, the numbers have shown that it is a huge help to people stranded on the side of the road.

“In 2023 alone, we had over 650 in the West Central region and 27,000 nationwide,” he said.

A nationwide service for everyone, but remember: it only applies to minor problems, from flat tires to an overheated engine or if you’ve run out of gas.

McWilliams is convinced that this service has most likely prevented an accident on the highway or subsequent accidents.

“Absolutely. If we can get out there and get you back on the road safely, that can prevent a potential accident. The most important thing for us is safety. If you’re left stranded on the shoulder, it creates a problem area for you and other road users, so we want to do everything we can to get you out of that problem area and back on the road where there won’t be another accident,” McWilliams said.

That’s something to keep in mind, as football season starts in less than two weeks and many fans will be driving into town on the freeways. McWilliams says the ASAP team will be nearby and responding – all for free.

If you’re one of the unfortunate ones with minor car problems, help is just a phone call away: Dial *HP (that’s the star key, then 47) or 205-348-5198.

John McWilliams says ASAP’s business hours in Tuscaloosa County on I-20/59 from exit 68 to 100 are Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

ASAP also serves Chilton County on I-65 from Exit 200 to Exit 219 Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

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