Yellow Dot Program Popularity Quickly Spreading to Other States

In May I wrote about the new and effective program known as "Yellow Dot". As I explained, "Yellow Dot" is an ingenious method of immediately providing emergency personal with the medical histories of individuals involved in car crashes. By obtaining this information prior to getting to the hospital, emergency personal can quickly decide on the best care they can provide to a patient during the "Golden Hour"–or the first 60 minutes after an accident has occured. This time is most vital, as it can mean the difference between life and death. Perhaps the best part about the "Yellow Dot" program is its simplicity. Participants in the program place a yellow "dot" sticker in a conspicuous area of their car (usually their windshield) that alerts emergency personnel to look in the glove compartment for a yellow folder containing all of the medical information for the driver.

Currently, not all states have the "Yellow Dot" program in place; however, this is about to change. In fact, the "Yellow Dot" program has become so popular, that Lora Weaver, an Alabama traffic-safety official says she has received calls from 33 states interested in instituting the "Yellow Dot" program already in place in Alabama. Somewhat of an informal information center for the program, Weaver says she has sent over 150 packets of information to people interested in starting programs in their states.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 40 million people in the U.S. are 65 and older and 32 million have a driver’s license. Furthermore, the number of older drivers is expected to grow from its current 13% to 20% by 2030. Safety officials across the country are eager to instate the program in their own states, applauding it for its low cost, yet effective results in keeping older drivers alive.