With the County Championships just days away, my cross-country team and I headed out for a distance run from our suburban Atlanta high school. We were barely half a mile off-campus when we entered a crosswalk in front of a stopped truck. We thought the driver of the truck had seen us. We were wrong.Apparently, he was waiting for a break in traffic. When he saw his chance, he gunned it to pull out into the 50 mph traffic. One teammate and I were broadsided and pitched into a lane of rushing traffic. Fortunately, the break in traffic was sufficient enough that we were able to scramble out of the road before the next vehicle. If it weren't for this fact, I might not be writing this. Although the two of us walked away with only abrasions and bruises, two other of our teammates suffered fractures.
My team was fortunate enough to have a coach running with us and other guys were able to run back to school to get help. Not only did this incident leave me with a healthy sense of mortality, but it also affirmed the importance of having identification on my person when on the road. Road ID is a tremendous asset to anyone's personal safety.
Presently, I compete in cross-country and track for my university in the heart of downtown Atlanta. While we always commute to off-road locations for team practices, the guys and I sometimes hit the streets for runs. I cannot think of a better safety precaution than wearing Road ID. Although I hope I'm never in the situation for which it was developed, it provides a little piece of mind just knowing that I am prepared.
- Brian .L from Suwanee, GA
