I retired from EMS a couple of years ago and have run on several cyclists (and pedestrians) hit by cars (and trucks (and a train)). I advise you to carry your ID in a pocket on your person, if your cycling clothes have pockets. The first place law enforcement or EMS looks for ID is in a pocket, especially a wallet.
While it is standard practace to "trauma strip" a patient by cutting their clothing off, the simple fact is that if a patient is clearly DOA (say due to massive head trauma), the EMTs may not do anything other than check for a pulse. Particularly if the accident happened on a desolate stretch of highway that took the ambulance an hour to reach. If there is a chance the person is still alive, it is not uncommon to place EKG pads on their chest, but some EMTs just slip them on under the shirt, rather than expose the chest. This is especially common if the patient is a different gender than the first responder, or if the assessment is being done roadside, rather than in the ambulance. Part of this is that EMTs are trained to disturb crime scenes as little as possible, so as to not to disrupt police investigations.
Unfortunately most of the time I'm not wearing shorts that have pockets. I do take your advice to heart though. Maybe dog-tags/medic-alter necklace might be a good idea too.
Maybe you should? (Wear shorts that have pockets).
This is the kind of trade off that people who get really into something make, they don’t put on a pair of running shorts that weigh 2-3 oz. and slip an ID in there, to avoid the extra weight. I get it, I have some hobbies that I’m pretty serious about — but the point of the above EMT’s post is to think through what would happen in the event of the worst. If I got hit by a bus, whether or not I was dead, I’d want someone to be able to call my mom pretty fast. That’s hard when you’re optimizing for the version of the experience where everything goes well.
One thing I recommend is getting an extra disposable ID to carry while biking or running. It would be a pain to replace my driver’s license but my NYC ID is just a matter of filling out a form online.
Cyclist here. Sibling comments are suggesting to wear shorts with pockets. That's a big nope for me; anything there will be an annoyance at best, or worse, cause chafing.
Cycling jerseys have pockets in back on the waist, which aren't annoying and, bonus, are accessible while pedaling. Another alternative is a fanny pack -- as long as you don't overload it, it can be quite convenient
Former cyclist. I used an old leather business card case to keep ID, a credit card, and some cash in one of my back jersey pockets. These days I'd look at some of the small aluminum cases that are for a similar purpose. My only cycling shorts that had pockets were for casual mountain biking.
You ought to consider wearing shorts with pockets, then. Personally, as someone who spends at least half of every year traveling the world by bicycle, I find full-length expedition trousers like the Fjällräven Abisko to be the best clothing option. They are durable enough to withstand all the wear and tear of cycling all day and then walking through the bush to set up a campsite at day’s end. Plus they just protect you from the sun – wearing shorts while cycle-touring is way too much UV exposure.
Thanks for your comment. How useful are medic alert bracelets for this purpose? I hate carrying anything on me when I run, even my driver's license, so I got a medic alert bracelet a few years ago. I sometimes wonder if it'll really do any good.
While it is standard practace to "trauma strip" a patient by cutting their clothing off, the simple fact is that if a patient is clearly DOA (say due to massive head trauma), the EMTs may not do anything other than check for a pulse. Particularly if the accident happened on a desolate stretch of highway that took the ambulance an hour to reach. If there is a chance the person is still alive, it is not uncommon to place EKG pads on their chest, but some EMTs just slip them on under the shirt, rather than expose the chest. This is especially common if the patient is a different gender than the first responder, or if the assessment is being done roadside, rather than in the ambulance. Part of this is that EMTs are trained to disturb crime scenes as little as possible, so as to not to disrupt police investigations.