SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Did you get a flat tire on Interstate 81?

Did your car battery die on Interstate 690 during rush hour?

In Onondaga County, the state Department of Transportation is now offering to help drivers during commuting times on weekdays.

Starting this month, the state's Highway Emergency Local Patrol (HELP) has expanded to the Syracuse area, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced this week. The program helps drivers make minor repairs -- free of charge.

It is meant to improve safety and reduce traffic jams, the governor's office said.

This is how the HELP program works, according to officials:

Two HELP truck drivers will patrol highways in the Syracuse area during rush hour on weekdays. The service will be offered from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The drivers will continuously search two routes for drivers in need of help.

One driver will patrol Interstate 81 from Route 31 in Cicero (Exit 30) south to the Interstate 481 interchange in Syracuse (Exit 16A). Another driver will patrol a route that starts on Interstate 690 at the Jones Road exit in Van Buren (Exit 2) and ends on Interstate 481 at the Routes 5 and 92 exit (Exit 3) in DeWitt.

The HELP drivers make small repairs for motorists. When needed, the drivers call for tow trucks.

In addition to the Syracuse area, the state offers the HELP program in the Capital District, Rochester, Buffalo, the Lower Hudson Valley, Long Island and New York City. Officials said the program is cosponsored by State Farm.

The program is not offered on the state Thruway.