Road ID: Products that can literally save your life
Posted May 22nd, 2007 at 5:14 PM by Paul Petersen
Section: Gear & Apparel, Apparel, Gadgets & Acces., Miscellaneous, Product Reviews, Special Features, TFS Reviews
On Wednesday, January 24 of this year I heard a chilling story of a local runner who was struck and critically injured by a vehicle while running in a bike lane along a low-traffic road. At the scene and for hours afterward, emergency personnel were not able to identify her.
Just this weekend on en route to our marathon, we were forced to take a long detour. The main mountain pass to our destination was completely closed down, a rarity since it is a U.S. Highway. While sitting in traffic and listening to AM radio, we learned that a cyclist was struck by a vehicle, resulting in a large accident that killed both the cyclist and several occupants of the vehicle.
These are stories that have come from my own backyard in the past 6 months. And they are not just stories, but are real accounts of factual events and they hit close to home. Tragic events such as these hurt my heart and make me wonder, “What if this happened to me? How long would it take for my wife to find out? Hours? Days?”
Recently I began wearing a Road ID simply because I couldn’t stand the thought of being unidentified in an accident and what that would do to my wife.
Although that was my primary reason for wearing Road ID, it also directly benefits the wearer through disseminating medical information that a person who is unconscious or in shock simply cannot give. This often results in smooth medical transactions and even saved lives. Many testimonies pertaining to these benefits are found throughout the Road ID website.
Road ID’s personal identification gear comes in a variety of different forms:
- The Wrist ID is a durable, stylish wrist band that can be worn at all times.
- The Shoe ID is lightweight and is attached to the shoe with a velcro strap.
- The FIXX ID has the semblence of a military dog tag. It comes as either polished stainless steel or 10K gold, and sports a laser-engraved image of your choice.
- The Ankle ID is composed of comfortable neoprene and can be strapped on easily.
- The Shoe Pouch ID contains the identification of the Shoe ID, plus a small pouch for porting essentials.
All of these versions of Road ID price out at $20-$25. For me, it served as a small, one-time investment that I’ve recouped many times over. No, my Shoe ID doesn’t play music, measure my heart-rate, or track my distance, but it increases my safety and gives piece-of-mind to myself and to my wife…all for the cost of a couple pizzas.
I wear a Shoe ID that displays my name, town, home phone, wife’s cell phone, and insurance policy number. All Road IDs are laser-engraved and contain up to 6 lines of customizable text. Different sizes and colors are available for the various models.
Another Road ID product that increases safety is the Firefly product line of visibility gear. Ranging from reflective ankle, wrist, belt, and shoelace materials, to blinking lights, the Firefly products allow you to be seen by motorists by up to a mile away. Prices range from $5 to $15.
My favorite visibility tool is the Firefly Supernova, a bright safety light that I attach to my clothing. It is virtually weightless, thereby adding no additional overhead to my running. During a recent overnight relay, I clipped it to my reflective vest during my night legs, and had several teammates comment on how visible the blinking light was from long distances. In addition, the lithium battery last a long time and the Firefly is even waterproof up to 300 feet.
I encourage all runners to check out the Road ID product line and search for something that will fit their personality. The ID tags are essential, and those who run during dusk, dawn, or dark hours should investigate the Firefly visibility gear as well. Not only will Road ID give peace of mind, but it may also save your life…for less than the cost of a 5K entry fee! It’s a highly recommended investment.
To learn more and/or to purchase Road ID products, please visit: www.RoadID.com
***Note: We encourage EVERYONE to see a doctor before altering their diet, taking a supplement and/or performing athletic, fitness or other strenuous physical activity. It is your responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness and usefulness of any information, instruction, opinion or advice contained in the content. Please also see our complete disclaimer.***
Tags: accident, emergency, firefly, firefly supernova, FIXX ID, life saving, medical information, product review, review, road id, safe, safety, shoe id, shoe pouch, supernova, wrist id
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May 22nd, 2007 at 8:44 pmI especially like the shoe ID. I don’t even notice it’s there.
May 22nd, 2007 at 11:58 pm