The Rider Alert motorcycle-safety program was launched in Richmond, Virginia, on April 12, 2011, and is spreading rapidly throughout the state and nation. The program, designed to help save lives, provides free identification data cards that will help first responders provide rapid and accurate medical assistance to motorcyclists involved in serious accidents.

Rider Alert cards are placed inside riders' helmets and contain vital, life-saving information, emergency contact and any important medical history. When first responders arrive on the scene of a motorcycle accident, a one-inch, round sticker on the outside of the helmet will indicate that the biker has the Rider Alert card. The sticker also warns bystanders not to remove the helmet, which could prevent further injury.

This program was started by the Richmond Ambulance Authority and Bon Secours Virginia Health System in partnership with Motorcycle Virginia! and is the first of its kind in the United States. Rider Alert is expanding rapidly across the US, with New York being the second state to launch the program. The Virginia Rider Alert Team is also assisting organizations from Delaware, Texas and Kentucky in developing the program.

For more information, email info@rideralert.org.