Cars to Automatically Send Accident Information

June 22, 2018

Tokyo- Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. have fully put into operation a system in which vehicles equipped with communication functions automatically send information on accidents to hospitals and fire authorities to help enable swift rescue activities.

In November 2015, the two major Japanese automakers launched on a trial basis a system to inform hospitals and fire authorities about accidents, in cooperation with the Emergency Medical Network of Helicopter and Hospital, or HEM-Net, a nonprofit organization.

Recently, the system was upgraded and is now able to report accident information to all of some 730 fire headquarters across the country.

Such accident data is also sent to 42 of the 61 hospitals where doctors and nurses who will fly to rescue sites by so-called "doctor helicopters," equipped with drugs and other items needed for emergency medical treatment, are constantly deployed. The 42 hospitals are in 31 of the nation's 47 prefectures.

When vehicles with communication functions cause or get involved in accidents, the automobiles use the functions to automatically send to the hospitals and fire departments information on their locations, their traveling speeds at the time of the accidents, the severity of the crashes, whether air bags were operated and whether the drivers and passengers were using seatbelts.

The information is checked against data on past accidents to calculate the probability of deaths and serious injuries. Based on all of the information, the hospitals and fire departments decide whether to dispatch doctor helicopters or ambulances.

Through the system, doctor helicopters can be dispatched about 17 minutes earlier than when it is not used, according to people familiar with the system.

At present, about 170,000 Toyota vehicles, including Crown and Lexus series luxury cars, and about 280,000 Honda vehicles, such as Fit cars, are compatible with the system. Toyota and Honda plan to make the system available for more vehicle models. Jiji Press