Families of car crash victims in Illinois may soon receive quicker notice of an accident.

On Aug. 18 Secretary of State Jesse White initiated the Emergency Contact Database.

Dave Druker, spokesman for the Illinois secretary of state, said Illinois drivers can now enter their emergency contact information into a detailed database.

Drivers will be able to enter this information through the use of the secretary of state Web site, www.cyberdriveillinois.com.

"This is the best way to reach out to the family during a crash situation," Druker said, adding that the information would be limited to law enforcement and emergency services, and would be kept confidential.

He said the information would be accessed through the Law Enforcement Agency Data System (LEADS).

"The officer can immediately check the driver's record by using the computer in their car," Druker said.

Police cars without computers can have officers call the station, he added.

Though Druker said the initiative was backed by the state police, local police have yet to adopt it.

Rene Dunn, spokeswoman for the Champaign Police Department, said the secretary of state is still in the information gathering process, and local police don't know exactly what the system will look like.

Druker indicated that the program also relies entirely on public participation.

According to a press release from the secretary of state's office, citizens without internet access are "encouraged to visit their local public library."

The release stated that White introduced the database to ensure prompt notification should individuals be rendered unable to communicate with first responders in case of an accident.

Captain Scott Compton, spokesman for the Illinois State Police, said the database will make it easier to get in touch with family members.

"If someone is involved in a single vehicle crash and is incapacitated, it is often difficult to contact the next of kin," Compton said.

University Chief of Police Barbara O'Connor said her force has been informed of this new system and how to access the information.

She said sometimes the more traditional process of contacting family members of injured persons can take several hours.

The secretary of state collects the information and just needs to encourage the public to sign up, she added.

Druker said Illinois is the third state to install a statewide emergency contact database, along with Florida and Ohio.