Seatbelt Covers and Safety Alert Messages
Seatbelt alert covers, or In-Case-Of-Emergency Tags, are a great way of letting first responders, paramedics or bystanders know of a child’s special needs in the event of an accident.
When time is critical and rescue is taking place, messages that can be an alert to conditions such as autism or to a person being non-verbal, can be the difference between life and death. Short and eye-catching, they can be helpful and may include any health conditions such as Type 1 Diabetes or allergies to certain medications. Depending on the design, some covers have a pocket where emergency contact information can be stored. In the adrenalin-charged environment of an accident, a bracelet or necklace with similar information on it could be missed if hidden under clothing or blankets.
Initially, this concept was developed for children with special needs, but it could be expanded to include elderly drivers and passengers, noting the increase in the numbers of dementia and health-related conditions. In these instances or even the situation of a person being rendered unconscious, the availability of medical information may be important. Various online shopping sites offer a vast range of products if ‘seatbelt cover’ or similar is searched, and many can do customised messages. You could ask a friend that sews to make one too.
Another option is to attach a luggage tag to a child booster seat, or headrest rod in a visible place. Information such as close contacts, and needs can be written on these tags. Bright colour tags can draw attention to them as well.
Examples include:
- Deaf – I cannot hear you
- TYPE 1 Diabetic – Insulin-dependent
- Autism – Non-Verbal and may be resistant to help
- HTN Alzheimers HBP Allergy to PCN
- I am deaf. I have a cochlear implant. No MRI
- Allergy to Penicillin
- Asthmatic
This is a simple tool that could be extremely important in an emergency, especially for children, the elderly and people with a disability with specific conditions and health requirements.
How it works?
This pouch is made from neoprene and is made to wrap around the seat belt in a car but can also wrap around a backpack strap or the arm on a wheelchair. Fill out all the important medical information, emergency contacts and anything else someone would need to know in an emergency.
If this person gets into an accident, all the important information will be accessible in this pouch for the emergency services, hospital staff or nurses. It has a large emergency symbol and words saying “CONTAINS VITAL MEDICAL & EMERGENCY INFORMATION”.
