Emergency ID tags for walkers, runners and riders: what responders look for
Which details belong on your tag, how to back it up and when to update it
Safety Behind the Wheel Foundation built this guide from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) data, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) first aid guidance and published research on unidentified emergency patients and medical ID tags. Every source is listed at the end.
Why an ID tag matters when you travel on foot or by bike
In 2024, 7,080 pedestrians were killed and more than 71,000 were hurt in traffic crashes nationwide [1]. Another 1,103 bicyclists died in crashes that year [2].
Many of these trips are short, and people often leave the wallet at home. If a driver hits you, you may not be able to speak for yourself.
The time of day adds to the problem. In 2024, 73% of pedestrian deaths happened between 6 in the evening and 6 in the morning [6]. Fewer people are out at those hours who might know you by sight.
Research on unidentified patients shows what is at stake. At a public hospital in Brazil, researchers studied patients who arrived at the emergency department with no ID from 2019 to 2022 [3]. Road traffic crashes were the third most common reason they came in [3]. Only about 3 in 10 were identified before they left the hospital [3]. Staying unidentified for more than a day was strongly linked with poor outcomes, though the study could not prove cause and effect [3].
In a Canadian study, most unidentified emergency patients arrived by ambulance and were placed in the two most urgent triage levels [7]. Triage is the quick sorting of patients by how sick they are. Until staff learn a name, hospitals use a placeholder. A 2025 review warns that these stand in names can lead to mix ups and to delays or errors in treatment [8].
A tag can close the first gap: who is this person, and who should we call?
What an emergency ID tag is, and what it is not
An emergency ID tag is any small item you wear or carry that tells a stranger who you are and how to reach someone who knows you. When it also lists health facts, people call it a medical ID. Its job is emergency readiness. It speaks for you when you cannot.
You will often see the letters ICE, short for “in case of emergency.” People save a phone contact under that label, or write “ICE” next to a number on a tag. It tells a helper which number to call first.
Most people do best with one item on the body and one backup.
Comparison compiled by Safety Behind the Wheel Foundation
Types of emergency ID and where they go
| Form | Where it goes | Good for | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wristband or bracelet | Wrist | Most walkers and runners | Hidden by sleeves or gloves |
| Shoe tag | Laces | Runners, children | Left on the other pair of shoes |
| Necklace or dog tag | Neck | People who dislike wristbands | Tucked out of sight |
| Wallet or pocket card | Pocket or bag | More detail than a tag holds | Often left at home |
| Helmet sticker | Bike or scooter helmet | Riders, as a backup | Helmet may be set aside |
| Device tag or pouch | Wheelchair, scooter, walker | Mobility device users | Can end up apart from you |
| Phone emergency screen | Phone lock screen | Backup for everyone | Dead, broken, lost or not set up |
Be clear about the limits. A tag only helps after something has gone wrong. It does not make you easier to see, slow a driver down or keep you out of a collision. Prevention comes from your route, your crossings, your visibility and the choices drivers make. Our guides on walking lights and mobility device lights cover the “be seen” side.
What responders look for when someone cannot speak
EMS stands for emergency medical services, the crews who answer 911 medical calls. At a collision scene, they treat the injury first. Who you are matters right after that, and again at the hospital.
Responders and bystanders look where people usually keep this information: the wrist, the neck, a wallet and a phone. The CDC’s seizure first aid advice, for example, tells helpers to look for a medical bracelet that may list health problems, medicines and who to call [9].
Phones are less reliable than many people assume. A U.S. trauma center studied 143 patients, ages 16 and up, who could not give their own medical history in 2020 and 2021 [4]. Only 30 arrived with a smartphone [4]. Of those, 27 phones could be checked, but only 8 people had filled in the emergency medical feature [4]. When they had, the information was relevant to care in 6 of those 8 cases [4].
A German survey found a similar gap. Only 6% of the emergency physicians surveyed said they routinely searched a phone for health facts when a patient could not respond [5]. About 21% of patients surveyed carried a written note about their illnesses and medicines [5]. For patients over 55, the authors felt the wallet was the more promising place to look [5].
What this means for you:
- Wear the key facts where hands go first: wrist, neck or laces.
- Use plain words a stranger can read in a few seconds.
- Treat your phone as a second layer, not the only one.
- Keep the tag on your body. Phones and bags can be thrown clear in a wreck.
What to put on your tag
Space is tight, so list things in the order a crew would need them:
- Your first and last name.
- One or two emergency contacts, with area codes, marked ICE. Pick people who usually answer and who are not always out walking or riding with you.
- Health conditions that can change emergency care or look like something else, such as diabetes, a seizure disorder or a heart condition.
- Blood thinners, if you take one.
- Serious allergies, especially to medicines.
- Implanted devices, such as a pacemaker or an insulin pump.
- Communication needs, such as “Deaf, uses sign language” or “speaks Spanish.”
- A pointer to more detail, such as “See wallet card.”
Blood thinners deserve their own line. These medicines, also called anticoagulants, slow blood clotting. A review of 12 studies with 4,417 patients looked at traumatic brain injury, meaning damage to the brain from a blow or jolt to the head [10]. People already taking anticoagulants had higher odds of dying than people who were not [10]. The authors called for special triage plans and earlier, more thorough scans for these patients [10].
Have your clinician or pharmacist check the health wording. A 2017 review found that people choose the words on their medical jewelry themselves, with no required check by a doctor [11]. Accuracy varies, and the reviewers urged regular review of what is engraved [11]. Safety Behind the Wheel Foundation gives the same advice.
Also ask whether a short action line belongs on your tag. In an Australian study of young people with type 1 diabetes who used a large medical ID service, 88.4% had the diagnosis engraved [12]. Only 1.8% had instructions for what to do in an emergency [12].
Comparison compiled by Safety Behind the Wheel Foundation
What belongs on your tag and what to leave off
| Information | Where it belongs | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Tag | Lets staff match records and reach family |
| ICE phone numbers | Tag and phone | Fastest way to reach someone who knows you |
| Conditions that change care | Tag | Can guide the first treatment |
| Blood thinner use | Tag | May speed checks for head injury [10] |
| Full medicine list and doses | Wallet card or phone | Too long for most tags |
| Clinician name and number | Wallet card or phone | Useful once you reach the hospital |
| Home address | Leave off | Tells a stranger where an empty home is |
| ID, bank or policy numbers | Leave off | Theft risk with no medical value |
Anyone who picks up a tag can read it. Keep it to what helps care, and nothing more.
Set up your phone’s emergency information
Most smartphones have a built in medical ID or emergency information screen. These features exist on all major phone systems and can be opened from the lock screen without a passcode [4, 13]. One case report describes an off duty clinician using this screen to learn key history while helping a pedestrian in a medical emergency [13].
Many people never set it up. In the German survey, 45% of patients did not know these apps existed, and only 10% had stored any data [5]. Setting it up takes only a few minutes:
- Open your phone’s health or safety settings and find the medical ID or emergency information section.
- Add your name, emergency contacts, conditions, allergies and key medicines.
- Turn on the setting that shows this information on the lock screen.
- Lock the phone and check that the details appear from the emergency screen.
- Save at least one contact with “ICE” in the name.
- Tell your ICE contacts that they are listed.
Some tags carry a QR code (a square barcode) linked to an online profile. A helper needs a working phone, a signal and time to scan it, and none of those is certain at a roadside. Put your name, ICE number and key health facts in plain text on the tag itself.
Choosing a tag that fits how you move
A tag only works if you wear it every time, so choose for comfort first.
Tags are not only for older people or people with health conditions. In 2024, pedestrian death rates were about the same for every adult age group from 20 up, between 2.4 and 2.6 per 100,000 people [6]. A healthy 30 year old runner still needs a name and an ICE number on board.
- Runners: A soft, sweatproof wristband or a shoe tag on the shoes you wear every time.
- Walkers and dog walkers: A wristband or necklace that stays on when you grab the leash and go.
- Bicycle and scooter riders: The main tag on your body, with a helmet sticker as a backup.
- Workers on foot near traffic: A tag or badge holder clipped to a vest or lanyard.
You can find emergency ID tags at outdoor and sporting goods stores, running and bike shops, pharmacies, medical supply stores and online sellers. Jewelry shops that engrave can make one. Industrial safety suppliers carry badge holders and tags for workers.
Some medical ID services charge a yearly fee to keep a fuller record on file, reached through a member number on the tag. Before you pay, decide whether you will really keep that record current.
Children, older walkers and mobility device users
Children
Safe Kids Worldwide advises that children under 10 cross streets with an adult, since most cannot judge the speed and distance of cars until about that age [14]. Once a child walks or bikes to school alone, no adult may be there to give a name or a parent’s number. A shoe tag or a card in the backpack can do that job. Placing it on the inside keeps the child’s name out of view. Teach your child a parent’s number too, and update the tag each school year.
Older walkers
Older adults often take more medicines, and the list changes often. Keep the tag to the few facts that matter most, such as a blood thinner, and carry a wallet card with the full list. Larger, deeper engraving is easier to read in poor light.
Wheelchair, scooter and walker users
From 2006 to 2012, the pedestrian death rate for wheelchair users in the United States was 36% higher than for the population as a whole [15]. Wear your main tag on your body, since a device can end up apart from you after a crash. Add a second tag or pouch on the device. Note any communication needs and the name of someone who knows how your equipment works.
Common mistakes and limits
Most problems come from habits, not the tag:
- Treating the tag as protection. It does not help you avoid a collision.
- Old information. An old phone number, a former partner or a stopped medicine can mislead a care team.
- An ICE contact who is with you. If your running partner is your only contact, add someone else.
- Codes and shorthand. Abbreviations that mean something to you may mean nothing to a stranger.
- Hidden tags. A wristband under a jacket cuff is easy to miss.
- Too much detail. A crowded tag hides the facts that matter most.
- Forgetting it. Keep the tag with your shoes, keys or leash.
Keeping your tag current: a twice a year check
Tags wear out, and lives change. Pick two dates you already remember, such as the spring and fall clock changes.
- Read every line of the tag out loud. Is each word still true?
- Confirm your ICE contacts still use those numbers and are still willing to be called.
- Compare the health lines with your latest medicine list from your pharmacist or clinician.
- Check the band, clasp and engraving for wear. Replace the tag if any text is hard to read.
- Clean it as the maker suggests. Sweat, salt and sunscreen can wear down straps.
- Update your phone’s emergency screen and wallet card at the same time.
- Between checks, update right away after a new diagnosis, new medicine or new phone number.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an ID tag if I have no health conditions?
Yes, a basic one still helps. If you cannot speak, your name lets the hospital match records, and your ICE number lets staff reach your family. Research on unidentified emergency patients shows how missing ID can complicate care [3, 7]. For most healthy adults, a name and one or two ICE numbers is enough.
Is my phone’s medical ID enough?
It is a good backup, but not a full answer. In one U.S. trauma center study, only about 1 in 5 patients who could not give a history arrived with a smartphone, and few had set up the emergency feature [4]. Phones can also die or break in a crash. Wear a tag and set up the phone, so each covers the other’s gaps.
Will responders actually look for my tag?
Many will. CDC first aid guidance tells helpers to check for a medical bracelet [9]. Still, nothing is guaranteed at a busy scene. Wear the tag on your wrist, neck or laces, where people look first. Use plain words so the key facts stand out.
What about my privacy?
Anyone who finds your tag can read it, so include only what helps in an emergency. Leave off your home address, government ID numbers, bank details and insurance policy numbers. Keep fuller health details on a wallet card or your phone’s emergency screen, where they are less exposed.
What should my ICE contact know?
Your ICE contact should know they are listed and agree to be called. It helps if they know your main health conditions, your medicines and your clinician’s name. Ask them to pick up calls from unknown numbers, since a hospital may call from one. If they travel often, add a second contact.
The bottom line
Recommendation from Safety Behind the Wheel Foundation
Safety Behind the Wheel Foundation encourages everyone who walks, runs or rides to wear a short, current emergency ID tag on every outing. If you are hurt on foot, on a bike or in a wheelchair, you may not be able to speak. An emergency ID tag then tells responders your name, who to call and which health facts matter. It works best when it is short, accurate and worn every time you head out.
It is not a safety shield. Pair it with the habits and gear that prevent crashes, and let the tag be the quiet backup that speaks for you.
Related articles
- Post crash care: what to do in the first minutes after a crash
- Pedestrian safety for drivers: how to spot, yield to and protect walkers
- Bicycle, e-bike and scooter safety: how drivers and riders share the road
- Serious car crash: how to spot symptoms that need medical care
- Getting organized in the days after a serious car crash
Sources and further reading
- 1National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Pedestrian Safety: Prevent Pedestrian Crashes. No update date shown; accessed October 2026. Data year: 2024. nhtsa.gov/road-safety/pedestrian-safety
- 2National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Bicycle Safety: Bike Safety Tips for Kids and Adults. No update date shown; accessed October 2026. Data year: 2024. nhtsa.gov/road-safety/bicycle-safety
- 3de Sousa FCP, Roquini GR, Curityba GM, Martins LLP, de Alencar JCG, Chavaglia SRR, CorrĂŞa ADR. Characteristics of Unidentified Patients: Clinical, Structural, and Social Challenges in a Public Hospital. Journal of Trauma Nursing 33(2):82-90 (via PubMed; doi:10.1097/JTN.0000000000000907). Published February 2026. Data year: 2019 to 2022 (one public teaching hospital in Brazil). pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41719530
- 4Rogers EJ, Reidlinger T, Loria A, Oplinger A, Raza SS, Gestring ML, Vella MA. Medical Information During Trauma Resuscitations: Are Smartphones the Contemporary Medical ID Bracelet? Journal of Surgical Research 291:313-320 (via PubMed; doi:10.1016/j.jss.2023.06.024). Published 2023. Data year: October 2020 to September 2021 (one U.S. level I trauma center). pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37506430
- 5Kaczmarek C, Andruszkow H, Herren C, Pishnamaz M, Hildebrand F, Röhl A, Lichte P. Medical ID and emergency apps: A useful tool in emergency situations or a waste of time? (article in German). Medizinische Klinik, Intensivmedizin und Notfallmedizin 116(4):339-344 (via PubMed; doi:10.1007/s00063-020-00675-2). Published 2020. Data year: not stated in the abstract (three-month survey of 192 patients and 103 emergency physicians in Germany). pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32270256
- 6Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Fatality Facts 2024: Pedestrians. Posted June 2026. Data year: 2024. iihs.org/…/pedestrians
- 7Tastad K, Koh J, Goodridge D, Stempien J, Oyedokun T. Unidentified patients in the emergency department: a historical cohort study. CJEM 23(6):772-777 (via PubMed; doi:10.1007/s43678-021-00165-0). Published August 2021. Data year: May 2018 to April 2019 (two emergency departments in Saskatoon, Canada). pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34403119
- 8Mahajan U, Khan I, Gupta R, Akhtar M, Gupta V, Spurrier E, Kabary M, Asif A, Parpia S. Naming conventions for unidentified patients in emergency and trauma settings: a narrative review. Georgian Medical News (364-365):215-218 (via PubMed). Published 2025. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41072520
- 9Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). First Aid for Seizures. Updated May 15, 2024. cdc.gov/…/index.html
- 10Lim XT, Ang E, Lee ZX, Hajibandeh S, Hajibandeh S. Prognostic significance of preinjury anticoagulation in patients with traumatic brain injury: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery 90(1):191-201 (via PubMed; doi:10.1097/TA.0000000000002976). Published January 2021. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33048909
- 11Rahman S, Walker D, Sultan P. Medical identification or alert jewellery: an opportunity to save lives or an unreliable hindrance? Anaesthesia 72(9):1139-1145 (via PubMed; doi:10.1111/anae.13958). Published 2017. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28677832
- 12Heath M, Torpy DJ, Rushworth RL. An analysis of the utilisation of medical identification jewellery among children and young adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus in Australia. Endocrine 79(1):72-79 (via PubMed; doi:10.1007/s12020-022-03224-3). Published November 2022. Data year: 2018 (population data used with subscription records). pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36334194
- 13Sandler RD. Mobile Medical ID: A Resource for the Off-Duty Clinician. Journal of Emergency Medicine 59(1):141-142 (via PubMed; doi:10.1016/j.jemermed.2020.03.040). Published 2020. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32362374
- 14Safe Kids Worldwide. Pedestrian Safety Tips. No date shown; accessed October 2026. safekids.org/tip/pedestrian-safety-tips
- 15Kraemer JD, Benton CS. Disparities in road crash mortality among pedestrians using wheelchairs in the USA: results of a capture-recapture analysis. BMJ Open 5(11):e008396 (via PubMed; doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2015-008396). Published November 2015. Data year: 2006 to 2012. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26589426
This article reflects the safety priorities of emergency readiness for people who walk, run, bike or use mobility devices. It is general education, not medical, legal or insurance advice. Phone features and guidance change, so verify details with official sources. Ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist which health details belong on your tag and how to word them. In an emergency, call 911. Reviewed October 2026.
Cite this article: Safety Behind the Wheel Foundation. “Emergency ID tags for walkers, runners and riders: what responders look for.” drivewithcare.org, https://drivewithcare.org/emergency-id-tag-walkers-runners-riders/. Reviewed October 2026.
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