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Identification while riding

Old 12-12-10, 04:03 AM
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Identification while riding

I dont know if anyone really cares but one of the guys i ride with got hit late in the season this year. He spent about 30 minutes on the side of the road unconscious before another car came by and stopped. They took him to the emergency room and were able to get in contact with his family because he was wearing one of those road ID's. I dont know how many people wear them but my friend is alive today and i honestly think that that little wristband helped save his life. I bought one the following day. Like is said no one probably cares but I never go out without it on now. So to anyone that reads this, invest in one they are like 30 bucks which is nothing if it saves your life or at least bring your drivers license.
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Old 12-12-10, 04:06 AM
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Old 12-12-10, 05:29 AM
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I wear mine whenever I'm on a bike.
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Old 12-12-10, 07:55 AM
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Well, I don't think you really need an official road ID. All you need is to carry some id and some contact numbers. If you are found unconcious, I would think the ER staff would search your person for something that identified you.
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Old 12-12-10, 08:44 AM
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Originally Posted by Steph279
They took him to the emergency room and were able to get in contact with his family because he was wearing one of those road ID's. I dont know how many people wear them but my friend is alive today and i honestly think that that little wristband helped save his life.
Huh? It saved his life because they were able to call his family?

Unless you have a significant medical hx that would pertain to trauma care (medication allergies, etc) these things would have little affect on your care.
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Old 12-12-10, 09:02 AM
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Originally Posted by skye
Huh? It saved his life because they were able to call his family?

Unless you have a significant medical hx that would pertain to trauma care (medication allergies, etc) these things would have little affect on your care.
Dang, you beat me to it. ;-)

Also, if you have a medical condition of that nature... I would certainly hope you'd be wearing a medic-alert bracelet or the equivalent and not worrying about the extra weight of carrying a wallet around...
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Old 12-12-10, 09:59 AM
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Whenever I'm out riding on the streets I have a small velcro pouch on my bike that has my license, phone, and credit card. The 3 major things I might need if unforseen events occur.
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Old 12-12-10, 11:12 AM
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I always have my student ID, primarily because I need it to get back into my building. Otherwise, my phone probably serves as sufficient identification because they can call anyone to find out who I am.
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Old 12-12-10, 11:45 AM
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Originally Posted by skye
Huh? It saved his life because they were able to call his family?

Unless you have a significant medical hx that would pertain to trauma care (medication allergies, etc) these things would have little affect on your care.
My first thought too...

All the RoadID did was allow them to get in touch with his family quicker.

In fact, I can't foresee any circumstance in which an ID would save your life...
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Old 12-12-10, 12:43 PM
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In Ontario, you must be able identify yourself to a police officer if you are stopped for breaking a traffic law while on your bike. I always carry my wallet, as my health card is in there, also.
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Old 12-12-10, 01:17 PM
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I'd be scared that if they called my family first they'd say, "You kiddin'? That shmuck? Nah, let him die."
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Old 12-12-10, 03:14 PM
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Originally Posted by mikeybikes
My first thought too...

All the RoadID did was allow them to get in touch with his family quicker.

In fact, I can't foresee any circumstance in which an ID would save your life...
Some emergency medical facilities have been shown to offer better care to insured patients -- not all of them, of course, and not all the time, but enough have been prosecuted for it to show it's a potential issue.

But you don't really need ID for that, you need an insurance card, as prosecutions for insurance identity fraud have shown.
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Old 12-12-10, 03:17 PM
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Originally Posted by jputnam
Some emergency medical facilities have been shown to offer better care to insured patients -- not all of them, of course, and not all the time, but enough have been prosecuted for it to show it's a potential issue.

But you don't really need ID for that, you need an insurance card, as prosecutions for insurance identity fraud have shown.
Right - an insurance card and not an ID
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Old 12-12-10, 03:52 PM
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Originally Posted by Steph279
one of the guys i ride with got hit late in the season this year
Wabbit Season, or Duck Season?

I wear an old set of dogtags.
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Old 12-12-10, 04:22 PM
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ICE your cell phone.

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Old 12-12-10, 06:44 PM
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Maybe the bracelet didnt "save his life" but i still think there a really good idea and it definitely cant hurt!
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Old 12-12-10, 06:52 PM
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Originally Posted by Steph279
Maybe the bracelet didnt "save his life" but i still think there a really good idea and it definitely cant hurt!
I'm still not getting what's wrong with carrying around a wallet that already contains all of the id/money/etc I could ever need. Unless I had $20 that I just had to throw away on a completely redundant item...
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Old 12-12-10, 06:57 PM
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I thought about getting a RoadID, but opted instead to make my own. I printed up my info and took it down to an Office Depot to get laminated. Not so much about being cheap, but because it was pretty quick and easy AND because I can quickly update it if necessary. I keep it with some cash and a credit card inside of a small case that protects my cellphone. All of it is for unplanned problems...
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Old 12-12-10, 06:57 PM
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Originally Posted by Steph279
Maybe the bracelet didnt "save his life" but i still think there a really good idea and it definitely cant hurt!
What makes it a good idea?
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Old 12-12-10, 07:00 PM
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I typed my name and emergency contact info onto a piece of paper, laminated it and taped it to the inside of my helmet. I made another one with a bigger font, glued a picture of my wife to the back, laminated it and carry it in one of the card holders in my wallet.
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Old 12-12-10, 07:06 PM
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Originally Posted by mikeybikes
What makes it a good idea?
Gotta love the A&S forum and all the ridiculous questions like this one. So, to answer your question, most people would consider it helpful to have some personal ID and any important medical info on them if they are found unconscious on the side of the road. It shouldn't affect the quality of medical care they receive, but it could certainly affect the level of anxiety of anyone who cares about them.
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Old 12-12-10, 07:06 PM
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Originally Posted by mikeybikes
What makes it a good idea?
A cyclist got killed near here last summer. The police didn't know his identity because he refused to carry ID. An ID wouldn't have saved his life but at least his wife wouldn't have had to drive around until she found the bike in the back of a sheriff's car.
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Old 12-12-10, 07:10 PM
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Originally Posted by SBRDude
Gotta love the A&S forum and all the ridiculous questions like this one. So, to answer your question, most people would consider it helpful to have some personal ID and any important medical info on them if they are found unconscious on the side of the road. It shouldn't affect the quality of medical care they receive, but it could certainly affect the level of anxiety of anyone who cares about them.
And how would a RoadID be a good idea compared to a plain old ID of some sort or carrying a business card with phone numbers?

Some of the posts here make it sound like the RoadID is something special...
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Old 12-12-10, 07:18 PM
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Maybe the OP sells RoadID's...........?
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Old 12-12-10, 07:20 PM
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Originally Posted by mikeybikes
And how would a RoadID be a good idea compared to a plain old ID of some sort or carrying a business card with phone numbers?

Some of the posts here make it sound like the RoadID is something special...
If I've learned anything on BF, it's that companies will never go broke selling cyclists redundant solutions to non-existent problems.
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