Road rescue? Just carry a card...
2012-04-18 11:51
EMERGENCY SERVICE: A red card such as this could save your life in any post-incident situation, on the road or off it.
A South African company is hoping to span the world with a card bearing a cellphone-scannable code intended for camera-equipped cellphones to display your emergency details after a serious accident.
Copies of the code (see image above) can be attached to motorcycles or cars to enable paramedics to immediately identify the holder - the data includes a facial image - over the internet.
1000 SIGNED
Rob Thomsett of QR Lifeline in Cape Town explained that the system would be readable anywhere in the world with a cellphone mast in range for emergency services to download names, addresses, next-of-kin, phone numbers and - importantly - medical details of the injured and possibly unconscious cardholder(s).
Negotiations are ongoing with all paramedic companies to adopt the system in South Africa and more than a 1000 clients have already signed up for the service which costs less than R1 a day - and in some instances comes free with vehicle finance or purchases deals. The client, once registered, can fill in his/her and family members' details on the QRLifeline website.
Later changes to the data can also be made by the client and QRLifeline will send a subscription renewal each year.
So if you're down - and possibly out - it's likely that QRLifeline will get emergency help to you faster than otherwise possible.
For more details or to sign up go to the QRLifeline website.
