TRENTON, N.J. (AP) – The head of the state police said Thursday he plans to assign more troopers to the elite unit that drives and protects the governor and to step up their training in the wake of Governor Corzine’s near-fatal auto accident last month.

State Police Superintendent Colonel Rick Fuentes announced that improvements were already under way when he appeared as the only witness Thursday before a panel reviewing how the governor’s Executive Protection Unit operates.

The head of the panel, Christie Whitman, the former Governor, said she expects to forward a report to the governor by early July. The report may make recommendations on the speed the governor’s motorcade travels, trooper training or how the unit is structured or budgeted, Ms. Whitman said. A black box recorder showed the SUV to be traveling at 91 mph seconds before the crash. The accident remains under investigation.

Mr. Corzine was not wearing a seat belt, though that was not addressed during Thursday’s hearing.

Meanwhile, Colonel Fuentes said he’s implementing the following measures:

_ Increasing to 24 the number of troopers assigned to the governor to allow drivers to rotate out more often. Currently, there are 19 in the governor’s detail.

_ Rotating vehicles out of the governor’s detail after 80,000 miles, rather than 100,000 miles as is done currently, for safety reasons.

_ Adding classroom training to the training troopers get on the job.

_ Cross-training other troopers to provide backup to the governor’s detail.

Though the revisions Colonel Fuentes is implementing are designed to alleviate driver fatigue and equipment malfunctions, both he and Whitman denied that either played a role in Mr. Corzine’s crash.

“The recommendations really were in line with suggestions we’ve been hearing from those members from the EPU unit we’ve been able to meet, and they’re the ones that made eminent sense to us.” said Ms. Whitman.

However, on the day of the accident, Mr. Corzine’s driver had been on the road with the governor for about 12 hours, according to state police. Trooper Robert Rasinski logged more than 300 miles while driving the governor to Pennsylvania for an FBI agent’s funeral and to Atlantic City for a speech.

Colone; Fuentes emphasized the importance of continuing to allow the motorcade driver determine the appropriate speed of the vehicle.

“Speed of the motorcade is a tool that can be used for risk avoidance, distancing the vehicle form perceived threats or to position the motorcade on the highway in such a way that maximizes the ability to maneuver amid traffic,” he said.

Colonel Fuentes also said he would continue to push for the governor to travel by helicopter more.

When asked how often the governor should travel by air, Colonel Fuentes said, “as much as possible, as much as the governor can bear it.”

Since the accident, Mr. Corzine has touted the practical advantages of traveling by helicopter.

“I have tended to use the helicopter a little more than some of the previous governors already,” he said May 7, the day he resumed work as governor. “It makes sense. And if there’s anything personal I’ll reimburse it, and if it’s on state business I think it’s appropriate.”

Recent New Jersey governors have been chided for using state helicopters to travel to political and personal events. But even Ms. Whitman, who raised questions about helicopter use during her gubernatorial campaign against Democrat Jim Florio, seemed to strike a more conciliatory tone Thursday.

“It may be that one of the recommendations of this panel will give a governor coverage to do that,” Ms. Whitman said. “Especially since 9/11, it does give them more variability and it allows them that flexibility.”