Medical alert: Vehicle decal program gets support in New Jersey
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Medical alert: Vehicle decal program gets support in New Jersey A push is underway at the New Jersey statehouse to put yellow dots on vehicles.
The Assembly Transportation Committee voted unanimously in recent days to advance an effort to set up a yellow dot decal program to help ensure proper medical treatment in situations where wreck victims may not be able to speak or are otherwise unresponsive.
Similar programs are available in more than a half dozen states, including Connecticut and New York.
The “New Jersey Yellow Dot” program would provide emergency responders with critical health information for drivers who sign up for the program.
Program materials would include a yellow decal for the windshield, a health information card, a yellow envelope, and program instructions. The state would collect “a nominal fee” to help cover the costs of the program.
Sen. Richard Codey, D-Essex/Morris, said the first moments following a serious wreck are crucial, especially when someone has unique medical needs.
“The sticker would let emergency responders know where to check for information that could be vital to people’s health, even survival, while saving considerable time,” Codey said in a statement.
The bill now moves to the Assembly Appropriations Committee on its way to the Assembly floor. If approved there, S71 would head to the governor’s desk. Senate lawmakers previously approved the bill by unanimous consent.
