South Korean car manufacturer Hyundai, working with MDGo, has developed a smart AI technology. This technology allows cars to call the emergency services within 7 seconds of an accident.
MDGo is a company that creates specialist medical artificial intelligence systems. Their AI technology assesses the environmental signals in the car after a collision. It can then send emergency services an analysis of the injuries that the passengers might have, in medical language and terms.
The advantage of this is that the emergency services can then assess the response that is required and the medical personnel & skills that would be needed.
Why is this smart technology so useful?
According to the Department of Transport’s report, there were 1,770 road fatalities in the June 2017 – June 2018 period. There were 26,610 people who were killed or seriously injured in that period out of a total 165,100 casualties of all severities.
It is difficult to ascertain how many of the deaths could have been prevented by quicker response time. However, in life or death situations, every second can be valuable. If the emergency services know about a car accident within 7 seconds of it happening, they will be able to get to the site sooner.
Compare that to a 2- or 3-minute wait while bystanders get their phones out to call… or even a situation where there are no bystanders!
Additionally, since the AI in the car also sends in an analysis of potential injuries, the emergency services can make sure they have adequately skilled personnel to deal with them.
Finally, they can determine the level of urgency based on the injury information they have received. This means they can then prioritise, dealing with multiple accidents efficiently and effectively.
How does this smart technology work?
This smart technology for cars is designed to gather information through sensors and artificial intelligence. It interprets the data from the accident to understand the level of damage.
It then uses this information to get insights on how the crash affected the occupants – any possible injuries they sustained and the potential extent of these injuries. These are conveyed to the emergency services quickly and concisely.
Smart technology that saves lives
A similar service is also coming up in smartphones, smart speakers, and virtual assistants. Researchers in the USA have come up with a smart speaker skill that can listen to the breathing of the person in the room. It can look for, and identify with 97% accuracy, signs of cardiac arrest.
If the system detects any signs of agonal breathing, which is essentially distressed breathing, it can call emergency services.
The voice service of smartphones, while not smart itself, has been quite useful in crisis situations. There have been a number of situations where telling the phone to call emergency services using the voice feature has saved lives.
However, the injuries sustained in accidents are quite varied, unlike cardiac arrests. They can range from life-threatening to minor scratches.
In such situations, it can help emergency workers plan the course of action quickly and economically. That, in turn, helps the response time as well as the efficacy of the rescue efforts.
This technology has come right behind the 2018 legislation that calls for an eCall system to be a standard in cars in Europe. The name, eCall, stands for 'emergency call'. As its name suggests, it allows the occupants to call the emergency services in case of an incident or accident, or calls them itself.
Hyundai’s new technology, however, is an upgrade. Unlike eCall, which is simply a calling system, this smart technology can also report any injuries sustained in the crash.
Further reading
Developments in car safety technology and legislations are making roads safer for everyone. Here are some related articles we have shared about road safety and new vehicles.
What to do if you break down on a motorway
5 self-drive vehicle hire myths you need to know about
Cars you could be driving in 2019
Road safety remains a very important aspect of vehicle driving. If you are looking for safe and well-maintained vehicles to rent for yourself or your business, get in touch with us. Call on 03338 803042 to speak to a member of our team for the options you have and the prices.
