In February, Kentucky created a registry for emergency contacts. Residents with a driver's licence, learner's permit, or legal ID card can add the name and contact information for one person in case of emergency.
KTC spokesperson Naitore Djigbenou says many people already include emergency contacts on their phones under I.C.E., which stands for In Case of Emergency. "But if you were involved in a wreck and your cellphone was destroyed or ejected from the vehicle, having participated in a service like this insures the right people would be able to contact whoever you selected," she says.
Djigbenou says only law enforcement can access the list.
"This information is very secure. It can only be utilized for emergency situations," she says. "It is optional. No one is forced to participate. It's just a good free service that a lot of other states offer and we wanted to also offer to our citizens."
Djigbenou says a number of other states also have similar registries. The programs in Ohioand Indiana are run by the BMV.
She says the information is available to law enforcement on the same day someone registers.
This story was updated to show when the registry was created.
