Gift loved ones with peace of mind by registering an emergency contact on Transportation Cabinet website

Agency partners with law enforcement provide an online registry to notify driver-selected contact in emergency situations

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Dec. 19, 2019) - As boxes get wrapped and online orders ship to gift to loved ones this holiday season, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) encourages residents to give the free, year-long gift of peace of mind by registering an emergency contact. Emergency Notice is an online emergency contact registry accessible to law enforcement officials to know who you would like to be notified in case of a serious emergency. Kentucky citizens with an active driver’s license, personal ID, or permit can submit a contact name and phone number online by visiting drive.ky.gov and clicking the Emergency Notice link.  

“Registering an emergency contact takes the guesswork out of knowing who the right person is for officials to notify if you couldn’t speak for yourself in an emergency,” said KYTC Secretary Jim Gray. “We want to encourage Kentucky drivers to join the nearly 14,000 drivers who’ve registered a contact since the initiative launched this spring.” 

The National Weather Service reports on average, 65% of adverse weather-related fatalities happened during snow and ice season – the months spanning from November to April. In Kentucky, 303 fatal crashes happened between November 2018 and April 2019.  

KYTC teamed up with Kentucky State Police (KSP) and the Department of Criminal Justice Training (DOCJT) to encourage Kentuckians to designate a preferred contact using this free, optional service.

KSP Spokesman Sergeant Josh Lawson said Emergency Notice helps first responders at the scene of a crash or traumatic situation gain valuable information quickly.

“When we have this contact information at our fingertips, it expedites the process of the on-scene investigation,” says Lawson. “Oftentimes, every minute counts when it comes to connecting family members with a crash victim who has been critically injured.”

The contact information integrates into the cardholder’s driving record, accessible only to law enforcement officials for emergency purposes.

The service is available only for valid Kentucky cardholders. Users will be required to input their license number, date of birth, first and last name to verify their information. Kentuckians may submit one contact and their contact information. Users can update their information at any time and are responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the submitted information, as well as keeping it up-to-date. Emergency contact information is limited to name, relationship, and phone number. Once submitted, the information is available the same day to law enforcement dispatchers.

Contact information is accessible to both in and out-of-state law enforcement officials who have the authority to search driving records and it is only used for emergency purposes.

Kentuckians with limited internet access may call KYTC at 502-564-1257 or they can provide their emergency contact information in-person at the Circuit Court Clerk office in their county of residence.