Medical Leaders Urge Mercedes & GM to Offer Automatic Collision Notification
IVsource.net
16 July 2001

Six prominent professionals in the field of emergency medicine sent open letters in recent months  to the chairmen of two of the world's largest automobile manufacturers in support of putting automatic collision notification (ACN) technologies in vehicles.

Six prominent professionals in emergency medicine sent open letters in recent months  to the chairmen of two of the world's largest automobile manufacturers in support of putting automatic collision notification (ACN) technologies in vehicles.

In letters sent to Jurgen E. Schrempp, the chairman of DaimlerChrysler, AG, and Jack Smith Jr., the Chairman of General Motors, Inc., a prestigious group of specialists in emergency medicine applauded the corporate leaders for putting significant numbers of ACN devices in new cars.  "By speeding emergency response to a precise location, these systems will save lives and reduce injuries," the letter said.

"Telematics technologies like ACN give the automotive, medical and emergency response communities one more tool to dramatically improve public safety," the letter said.  The emergency medical experts urged the companies to continue their leadership and to encourage others in the auto industry to follow their lead.  They also called for the deployment of advanced ACN technology which can provide precise information about the nature of a crash and help medical professionals predict likely injuries and expedite treatment.

ACN technology uses a wireless telecommunications link to notify a private call center when an ACN-equipped vehicle's airbag deploys or an in-vehicle "Mayday" button is pushed.  ACN systems also use Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites to give the call center the vehicle's exact location in latitude-longitude.  The call center then contacts the appropriate emergency responder.  With this technology, emergency response times are reduced.

Over one million cars on the road today already have ACN capabilities -- most are from General Motors and Mercedes Benz.  The Mercedes division of DaimlerChrysler is the first car company to make ACN technology standard on its entire 2001 line through its Tele Aid program, and General Motors offers ACN capabilities on 30 different vehicle lines through its OnStar service.

The letter noted that the first hour after a crash is known as the "golden hour," because the chances for survival and avoidance of permanent injury are greatly improved if a patient receives treatment within the first sixty minutes of a crash.

The open letters were signed by the following health care professionals:

Dr. Howard Champion
Chair, National Coalition for American Trauma Care

Dr. Richard Hunt
President, National Association of EMS Physicians

Dr. Michael Pietrzak
Executive Director, International Brain Injury Association

Dr. George Zitnay
Director, John Jane Brain Injury Center

Dr. Timothy Peterson
Chair, Trauma Care and Injury Committee of the American College of Emergency Physicians

K. Sue Hoyt, R.N., M.N., CEN
Past President, Emergency Nurses Association and Chair, ComCARE Alliance Board of Directors

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For More Information ...

... contact Christopher McLean at the ComCARE Alliance, 202.429.0574.

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