What Happens When a Rider Can’t Speak?
A motorcycle accident can happen in seconds.
One moment, you are making an ordinary journey. The next, you may be injured, disoriented or unable to tell anyone who you are, who should be contacted or whether you have important medical information that responders need to know.
This week, the reason we created VEXA became very real.
“Your product saved my life”
A rider recently heard about VEXA through a friend at a bike night. They ordered a VEXA Rider Protection Pack and received it the following day.
Only days later, while commuting to work, a car pulled out in front of them without enough time to stop.
The rider collided with the passenger side of the vehicle, went over its roof and came to rest further down the road. Their left leg became trapped during the collision, and they suffered a broken ankle that required a plaster cast. Their motorcycle was also severely damaged and had to be recovered.
Afterwards, they contacted us with a message we will never forget: “Your product saved my life yesterday.”
They had owned their VEXA protection for less than a week.
For us, VEXA has never simply been a card, keyring or QR code. It was created to help protect real people during the moments when they may be at their most vulnerable. Hearing from a rider who needed that protection so soon after joining brought the entire purpose of VEXA home.
What happens if you cannot communicate after an accident?
Following a serious collision, a rider may be unconscious, confused, in shock or physically unable to speak.
Their phone could be locked or damaged. Their wallet may have become separated from them. Even if someone knows the rider’s name, they may not know who should be contacted or whether there is relevant emergency information available.
Important details could include:
- The rider’s name and identity
- Emergency contact information
- Allergies
- Current medication
- Existing medical conditions
- Blood group, where known
- NHS number
- Other information the rider believes may be relevant in an emergency.
Emergency services will always carry out their own professional assessment and treatment. VEXA does not replace medical identification, clinical judgment or calling 999. Its purpose is to help make the information supplied by the rider easier to access when they may be unable to provide it themselves.
Why VEXA provides several ways to access your profile
A collision can scatter or damage personal belongings. That is why relying on a single item or access method may not provide enough protection.
The VEXA Rider Protection Pack gives someone several opportunities to find your emergency profile through:
- An NFC-enabled VEXA card
- A VEXA keyring with NFC and QR access
- QR helmet stickers
- Your unique Emergency Rider ID
A compatible phone can be used to tap or scan a VEXA product and open the rider’s emergency profile. No dedicated VEXA app is required.
Providing several access points means your emergency information is not tied solely to your phone or one item that could become lost during an accident.
Emergency information should be prepared before it is needed.
Nobody begins a journey expecting to be involved in a collision.
It is easy to believe that emergency information can be organised later, especially when you have ridden the same route hundreds of times without anything happening. However, the rider who contacted us had only received their VEXA pack days before their accident.
That is an important reminder for every motorcyclist: the right time to prepare your emergency profile is before the journey when somebody may need it.
Once your VEXA products have been activated, you should also keep your profile accurate. If your medication, medical information, address or emergency contacts change, update the details rather than leaving outdated information attached to your account.
Protection is most useful when the information behind it is current.
More than a product
VEXA was created because motorcyclists deserve a simple and practical way to carry their emergency information.
We hoped it would make a genuine difference when a rider needed it most. This week, that hope became real.
We are incredibly relieved that this VEXA member survived their collision, and we wish them the very best with their recovery. Their motorcycle may be badly damaged, and their ankle will take time to heal, but they are still here to tell their story.
That is what matters.
Their subscription is remaining active, but their message means far more to us than another renewal or sale. It demonstrates why preparation matters and why VEXA must continue reaching riders across the country.
Could someone access your information if you couldn’t speak?
Take a moment to think about what would happen if you were involved in an accident today.
Would someone know your name? Could they contact the person who needs to know? Would your allergies, medication or relevant medical details be available if you could not explain them yourself?
If the answer is no, now is the time to prepare.
Create your VEXA emergency profile, activate your protection and carry your information every time you ride.
Set it up before the ride when you’ll need it most.