Highway safety program now available in all 67 counties
A free program that could save your life after a traffic crash is now available to residents in all 67 Alabama counties.
The Alabama Yellow Dot program, begun in Etowah County in 2009, provides each participant with a Yellow Dot decal to place on the back window of his or her vehicle. In the event of a crash, the decal alerts first responders to a yellow information packet kept in the glove compartment that lists health conditions, medications, recent surgeries and emergency contacts, permitting more effective medical care at the scene. While the statewide rollout is now complete, many Alabamians have already benefitted from Yellow Dot.
Clanton resident Bethanie Chancellor learned about the value of Yellow Dot after a tragic car crash that took her husband’s life and left her unconscious. Chancellor explained that if she had participated in Yellow Dot, emergency responders would have had the family’s emergency contact information at the scene.
Yellow Dot helped save Homewood resident Vivian Howard’s life in 2013. Howard, who is diabetic, began to lose consciousness while driving back to her home after attending a funeral.
“When I opened my eyes, there were paramedics all around me,” she said. “I had been steadily bumping the curb as I drove and then eventually blacked out and crashed.”
Because Howard had taken advantage of Yellow Dot, first responders had immediate access to her medical information, helping them quickly assess her condition and initiate proper procedures.
For more information on the program or to find an enrollment station in your county, visit www.adeca.alabama.gov/yellowdot.
