Faster Crash Notification Saves Lives
Newstream.com - January 22, 2004
Medical professionals say the faster they can get to car crash victims, the better their chance of saving lives. Car manufacturers are working to get faster medical care for drivers after a crash, beginning with in-vehicle communication systems that automatically send out an alert when a crash occurs.
Recently at Yosemite National Park, a tourist driving a rental car was run into head-on by another vehicle, causing the airbags to deploy. The car's OnStar in-vehicle communications system automatically notified the OnStar emergency call center. With the help of the system's global positioning system, Yosemite's emergency medical team was able to pinpoint the exact location of the crash site. Medical professionals say this kind of technology is helping to save the lives of car crash victims.
And the technology continues to be improved. OnStar has just announced the "next generation" of automatic crash notification sensors available beginning with the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu. The new sensors can detect a collision from any direction, with or without airbags deploying - allowing for an even faster response by medical professionals.
Experts say the earlier crash notification is especially important in rural areas, where there are fewer witnesses who can report an accident and call for help. Rural crashes account for only 20 percent of the total annual vehicular crashes, but 60 percent of the fatalities.