• WHAT: A way to ensure that someone knows who to contact in emergencies
• WHY: Because you might not be able to tell them yourself
• COST: Totally free

About a year and a half ago I took a pretty nasty spill on my bike.  It wasn't anyone's fault, really, just one of those things that happens if you clock as many miles as I do.  Fortunately there were a lot of people along on the ride with me and, as it turns out, the guy whose wheel I rubbed that caused the spill is a former ER doctor and ambulance driver.  When I hit the ground the sound of my helmet smacking the pavement was loud enough to stop the riders in front of me long enough to look over their shoulders and see me flat on the pavement.  Turns out I busted my collarbone and had numerous other bangs and bruises.  But I also had an epiphany:  What if I had been out there alone? 

It happens all the time.  Whether you're a cyclist, runner, walker or even driving a car – it's an axiom that accidents occur when you're least expecting them.  So how can you be prepared for the potential situation where you're in an accident and either unconscious or unable to give the emergency personnel critical information?  Turns out your cell phone can be of great assistance and you can set it all up in just a minute. 

After I took the spill on my bike and realized that I could have been alone I took the precaution of buying a "RoadID" bracelet that you can imprint with critical information and make it immediately visible (mine is bright yellow and worn on my wrist) to emergency personnel should the situation arise.  But that's impractical when you're out and about all the time.  In all likelihood, though, you'll have your phone with you when you're outside your home or office.  So here's what you do:

In your address book (some phones call it a "contact list") where you keep everyone's phone number that you frequently call – it's the cell phone's equivalent to speed dial numbers – create an entry called "ICE."  The initials stand for "In Case of Emergency" and emergency personnel around the country have been trained to look for it on the cell phones of people to whom they attend.  Make the name of the entry just read "ICE" and enter the phone number of the main person you'd want to be contacted if you were in an accident.  Save the entry in the standard way so that it shows up in the address book under the section for the letter "I" and you'll be all set.

I've already set this up for my Mom and other members of my family, along with my own phones and those of other people important to me.  It's no guarantee but you're a lot more likely to get the kind of treatment and attention you need from in an emergency medical  situation if your contact person can be quickly found and easily reached.