How many times do you need to have something beaten into your head 'literally' before you take it seriously? Not long ago my boyfriend crashed while riding. If I hadn't been riding with him, there would have been no one there to call for help. I wondered at the time, what would have happened to him had I not been there.
Recently, it happened to me, and this time I was alone. This was the wreck that finally woke me up to the importance of wearing ID. I was on an early morning ride, riding about 21 mph when the unthinkable happened. On a tight turn, my wheels came out from under me so quickly that I didn't even have time to get my hands off the handlebars. I don't remember much after that. A woman who lived nearby saw me wandering up the bike path, bloody and dazed. Lucky for me I was able to give the paramedics the information they needed to keep me from being taken to the hospital as a Jane Doe. I now wonder just how close I was to being knocked unconscious.
My injuries included a fractured cheekbone and eye socket, along with a concussion. I have a 10-year old daughter who is just starting out in road cycling. My recent accident finally woke me up to the importance of having identification on you. I now realize that a paramedic's priority is to help an injured person get medical treatment as quickly as possible, not wasting time looking for ID in helmets and saddlebags. You can be assured that my family will never ride again without wearing ID.
