The millitary uses dog tags in part to help identify service members who have been rendered incapable of communicating their identity due to either a severe accident – or death. The idea of us regular schmoes possibly "benefitting" from a dog tag is admittedly pretty morbid. But anyone that does anything off of their property alone should have a form of identification on them. Thinking back to all of the spills I’ve taken road or mountain biking, sports I often do alone, there’s a real chance I might get get take a nasty fall, get side swiped in traffic or just be the klutz that I am and get knocked out. Heaven forbid something like this happens, and it’s definitely possibility, I’d like who ever finds me laying there to know who I am, who to call and have access to any special medical info.
The Road ID, sold at www.RoadID.com, is the high speed low drag (I love high speed, low drag) alternative to running with your driver’s license in your shorts. But what if you are biking or swimming? What if you want to convey more information than just your address – like your emergency contact info or any special medical needs such as drug allergens? Wear the Road ID.
photo acquired from roadid.com
The product in its most popular forms comes in either a wrist or ankle bracelet. These bracelets hold a little metallic card that carries the info you want emergency response people to have should they find you unable to communicate that info yourself. The company also offers the option to load your info to a database that a first responder could access on a web page with your bracelet’s info. This sounds handy for those of us that have specific medical concerns or change addresses a lot. I would probably add to my file DO NOT MRI NECK because of my little metal plate. They would probably figure that out with an x-ray first but you get the idea.
I am all about supporting products that could save a life and apparently already has. This is one I’ve been meaning to get for a while now, especially since my dog tag jingles, bounces, snags my chest hair, was, uhm, accidentally left behind somewhere and …doesn’t convey all of the info it should, like "Call So and So."
The Road ID is pretty cheap to begin with but definitely a must for anybody that pretty much leaves the house, let alone participates in any kind of risky sport. You can try and use coupon code # ARR5178 for an additional $2 off. I just ordered my Ankle ID in the interactive edition. The interactive feature allows first responders to access a web page with your emergency contact and medical data which you can update on the fly instead of ordering a new informational plate every time you move, switch insurance companies or break up with you emergency contact.
