SCDMV Unveils New Emergency Contact Online Transaction

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — When emergency crews first arrive on scene your are just a Jane or a John Doe, until they have your driver’s license then they know your name and address. But, what they don’t know is who to contact from your family, until now. “We do lose many citizens on our highways and now we are reducing that,” says Richland County Sheriff, Leon Lott. Tuesday, the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles unveiled a new emergency contact online transaction. Anyone who has a driver’s license, beginner’s permit or identification card can now enter their emergency contacts on their DMV record. This could mean the difference between life and death. “As the trauma patient’s age, there’s more disease and that comes along with more medications they take. Knowing this stuff even within the first hour after trauma will help save lives,” says Dr. Christian Watson, of Palmetto Health. The new system will also be a big help for law enforcement. “By having this emergency contact information available it will be very valuable to us to make sure we let the next of kin and anybody who cares about this person, know where they’re at,” says Trooper Phelps, with the South Carolina Highway Patrol. But who should put their information on their DMV record? According to the SCDMV Executive Director, Kevin Shwedo, all ages. “We want you to add the information for your children. We want you to go ahead and find your parents and grandparents who may not have access to the internet and we want you to put that information online,” says Shwedo. Shwedo says the system we have now is not getting the critical information to those who need it most. “Today the only way we can do that is by looking at the name and address on your driver’s license. That’s not the critical information, that’s not the information that will save lives,” says Shwedo. He says if the new system works one time, it’s worth it. “If it saves a single life, then it was worthwhile,” says Shwedo. If you would like to put your emergency contact information on your DMV record, click here. You will need their name, telephone number and address. You will be able to change or update their information at anytime by logging into the system.