Automatic crash alerts should be standard and free in all new vehicles, experts say
Automatic crash notification (ACN) systems should become a standard safety feature in every new vehicle, like seat belts and airbags, according to a new paper by members of the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma (ACS COT), published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons (JACS). The authors note that ACN is often offered as a premium connected-vehicle service that may…
Automatic crash notification (ACN) systems should be standard in all new vehicles, similar to seat belts and airbags, according to experts. ACN alerts emergency responders after a serious collision, providing the vehicle's location and voice communication if needed. Advanced automatic crash notification (AACN) also transmits detailed crash information to help emergency responders estimate injury severity.
This can help resources arrive sooner, especially in rural areas where delays are associated with a higher risk of death. ACN and AACN are often offered as premium connected-vehicle services, which can be lost when subscriptions expire or are canceled. The European Union has required eCall in all new vehicles since 2018, providing automatic emergency notification without a subscription.
To check if a vehicle has ACN or AACN, drivers can determine if these features are included in any bundled services. Standardizing ACN definitions and protocols could improve response efficiency across different manufacturers.
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