Earlier this month, Gov. Rick Scott declared a week in October as “Register Your Emergency Contact Information Week,” according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. In submitting a contact name and number, law enforcement officials will know who to contact if a motorist is involved in a serious or fatal car accident in Hollywood, Sunrise, Tamarac or elsewhere in the state.
Port St. Lucie car accident lawyers know that providing a contact number in case of an emergency could be crucial to saving a life in the critical stages following a severe car crash. Sometimes life-saving decisions need to be made in a split second, so notifying a loved one can play an important role in making the right decisions about medical conditions, especially if the accident victim is unconscious.
The Emergency Contact Information Program originated a few years ago when a mother was unable to say her last goodbyes to her failing daughter who was involved in a fatal motorcycle crash. It took several hours for the victim’s mother to be contacted after the accident — time in which she could have spent with her daughter before she died. As a result, the mother pushed state officials to allow emergency information to be placed on a driver’s license or identification card. Instead, authorities conceded by creating a program that emergency contact information could be documented and saved in the Driver and Vehicle Information Database (D.A.V.I.D.)
Florida residents are encouraged to register emergency contacts with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, if you aren’t one of the 5 million licensed drivers who have already done so. The Emergency Contact Information Program permits identification card holders and licensed drivers to submit two names and contact information to be notified in case of an emergency. The information will be accessed only by law enforcement officers in the event of a tragedy or an emergency.
We posted previously on our Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog about another program that could be beneficial in saving lives in the crucial moments following a car crash. Though Florida still has not adopted the program, the Yellow Dot Program helps first responders know of any medical conditions or other pertinent information that they should know before treating a victim who may be severely injured or unconscious following a car accident or other tragedy on our roadways. Obtaining medical information along with emergency contact information is an important step, and may play a key role in saving a victim in the first few minutes or hours after a crash.
Registering emergency contacts is free and easy. You can register online or visit any driver license office throughout the state and ask about the Emergency Contact Information Program. To register online, visit FLHSMV and fill in a few boxes with simple information.
Freeman, Mallard, Sharp & Gonzalez, LLC are experienced and dedicated attorneys who assist car accident victims and their families in Oakland Park, Hallandale Beach, Weston and Tamarac. Call 1-800-561-7777 for a free and confidential appointment.
More Blog Entries:
Restitution for Medical Costs and Damages Requires Experienced St. Lucie Law Firm, Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog, October 16, 2011.
Fort Pierce Car Accident Attorneys Examine County Comparison of 2010 Crash Statistics, Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog, September 26, 2011.