Fuel for Thought

ICE

ICE, ICE Baby

By Greg Huggins
Posted Nov 4th 2016 1:39PM

No, I am not going to break out in song, for those of you who remember it. And, I am sorry if I just put that song in your head. If you must, try to think of Queen’s song “Under Pressure” to get rid of it.

ICE, ICE Baby.

ICE - In Case of Emergency

As drivers we spend a lot our time away from friends and family. Those who know us would most likely know who to contact in an emergency, but there can be occasions where we are at the mercy of strangers far from home. If you had an emergency on the road, how would total strangers know who to contact on your behalf if you were not able?

Unlike years past, when drivers had to find a payphone to make a call, most drivers, if not all, have cell phones.

Do you have your ICE (In Case of Emergency) contacts set up? If you do, are they easy to find? With all the different cell phones available today, would someone unfamiliar with your phone be able to find your ICE contacts?

What about locking your phone? If you keep your phone locked to prevent unauthorized use, can your ICE contacts still be found? Having your ICE contacts set up but not accessible when your phone is locked is useless to anyone trying to help you. You should be able to make your emergency contacts available from the lock screen. This will allow emergency personnel to know who to call for you and be able too as well.

What about if you are involved in a crash and your phone is lost or broken?

Years ago, before cell phones, we had a novel approach to solve this. We used pen and paper! Jot down important emergency contacts and keep it in your wallet or purse. I still carry my business card in my wallet with my emergency contacts listed on the back and laminated to keep it legible over the years. It is comforting to know that if an event should arise that I cannot contact my family, law enforcement officers or medical personnel can find my contacts and alert my family on my behalf.

If you take medications or have allergies, it would be a good idea to put that information in your ICE contacts as well. Friends and family can alert medical personnel for you, but not if you are 1000 miles from home and they cannot be found.  

No one wants to end up a John or Jane Doe. Make sure there are multiple ways for strangers to help you when you need it most.

If putting the ICE, ICE Baby song in your head gets you to create or update your ICE contacts, so be it. If there is ever an occasion where it is needed ( I hope you never have a use for it), you will glad you set it up. It just might help save your life one day.

See you down the road,

Greg

It’s better to look ahead and prepare, than to look back and regret.

- Jackie Joyner-Kersee