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Illinois Events, Coupons, Reviews!
Road ID is a line of identification gear designed for athletes and people who participate in outdoor activities. It’s personalized with your name, emergency contact info, pertinent medical information, and whatever else you’d like to put on it. The idea is that if you’re ever out running, cycling, etc. and you have a medical emergency, you’ll be easily identifiable, and your emergency contact info & medical info will be right on hand. This can save precious time in an emergency. These stats from Road ID’s website really struck me:
Each year over 450,000 of us are taken to hospitals unconscious and without ID. Year after year, over 122,000 runners, walkers, and cyclists are hit by cars. Thousands more suffer blackouts, concussions, heart attacks, heat strokes and other serious accidents.
Whoa. And if you need more convincing, head over to the Testimonials section of Road ID’s website and read some amazing (sometimes alarming) stories.
The first Road ID that I purchased back in 2013 or so was for my dad. Before that, I’d never heard of Road ID. Neither had my dad – and he’s been running for more than 50 years. He’d always been very insistent about me carrying my ID when I was out running. That year, I bought him a Shoe ID (plus a shoe pouch, which Road ID no longer makes). Since then, he’s worn his Shoe ID on every run. Before that, he would carry a copy of his driver’s license & health insurance card in a baggie, which he tucked in his sock or pinned to the inside of his shorts. Once he had his Road ID Shoe Tag, he was able to ditch the baggie.
Next, I purchased a Shoe ID for myself, and I wore it diligently up until about a year ago, when I realized that most of the contact info was outdated. I need to purchase new one ASAP, especially since I do so much walking alone in fairly secluded spots.
Then I purchased a Road ID for each of my daughters. At the time, Road ID sold a dog tag, which I had customized with emergency contact information for the girls. Years later, they both wear their dog tag necklaces whenever we travel or visit crowded places where we could potentially get separated. Before the dog tags, we used to write our names in Sharpie on the girls’ bodies. That worked too, but they find the dog tags (which can be tucked inside their shirts) less embarrassing.
Road ID no longer makes a dog tag, so if we ever needed to replace the girls’ ID, we’d probably get them each a Wrist ID. The Shoe IDs are nice too, but my Florida girls tend to wear flip flops 9 or 10 months out of the year.
I’m not sure if it’s new, but Road ID also makes a Pet ID, which comes with elastic loops to thread your pet’s collar through. And while you’re shopping for your dog or cat, don’t forget to buy one for yourself too – especially if you tend to take your pet outside to walk or play in the dark.
Road ID offers 5 different forms of the ID. You can find all the specifics on RoadID.com, but briefly they have:
Road ID has also updated their interactive ID feature, which used to come with a subscription fee. Now every ID (except the Pet ID) comes with an Emergency Online Profile, where you can input information about your medications, allergies, etc. Every purchase includes 6 months of service, and then it’s only $9.99 per year after that.
On top of all that, Road ID has same day shipping (order by 1pm, weekdays only), free shipping on orders over $35 (US only), and free shipping for gift cards of any amount.
I’ve written a lot about running safety, but I truly believe (thanks, Dad) that one of the most important pieces of safety gear that you’ll ever carry is your ID. I love my Road ID, and if you don’t have one yet, I hope you’ll check them out!
(This post originally appeared on Mommy Runs It on 8/18/18)
