Telematics Provider ATX Finds Many Collision Alerts Don't Require Emergency Responders

DALLAS-FORT WORTH, June 13 -- ATX Group, the world's second largest telematics provider to the automotive industry in North America and Western Europe, reported today that over a third of the automatic collision notification (ACN) calls it received over the past year did not require police, fire or emergency medical response.

Telematics-equipped vehicles include ACN capability, which automatically notifies a telematics response center whenever airbags are deployed or sensors are activated in the seatbelts' emergency tensioning devices. ACN is extremely critical in accidents in which the driver and its occupants are unable to summon help themselves due to the severity or shock of the impact.

During 2004 and the first quarter of 2005, ATX response specialists screened about 33 percent of the ACN signals ATX received, after talking with the occupants of the vehicle, thereby preventing unnecessary dispatches of emergency personnel and equipment. The percentage of ACN calls screened from public agency dispatch has remained fairly consistent over the past couple of years.

The number of automatic collision notification calls that don't require notification to emergency response dispatchers is primarily attributable to two factors, according to Wallace. First, airbag deployments don't always involve serious injuries or damage to another person's car or property. The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that approximately 48 percent of all crashes are not reported to police.

"Our statistics tend to support that estimate," said Wallace. "Many drivers prefer to settle non-serious incidents privately. It's difficult to conceive of a sound argument for why they should not continue to be allowed to do so with telematics."

The accidental activation of sensors, often while the vehicle is being serviced, is another common reason.

Wallace said the data confirmed the wisdom of the decision made by the U.S. emergency response agencies, 9-1-1 organizations and telematics providers four years ago to not have direct communications from telematics systems in the vehicle to emergency dispatch offices, either when the emergency button is pressed or an ACN system is activated. This was a central recommendation of the National Mayday Readiness Initiative, a national public policy process of 30 organizations sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the COMCARE Emergency Response Alliance. COMCARE is a national, non-profit alliance of over 100 organizations, representing a wide diversity of the emergency response community, dedicated to advancing emergency response.

Because so many in-vehicle emergency calls do not require response from public safety agencies, Wallace said telematics providers have a unique responsibility for making sure response specialists are trained to screen for potentially life-saving emergencies and then work closely with public safety agencies to make sure the transition to public response is quick and seamless when it is necessary. ATX currently works with the Association of Public- Safety Communications Officials (APCO), which represents local emergency dispatch operations, and other public safety organizations, on developing interface protocols and training requirements for its telematics response specialists.

Based in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, area and Dusseldorf, Germany, ATX Group is the world's second largest provider of telematics services for the automobile industry, serving both North America and Europe. ATX telematics services are designed to provide enhanced safety, security and driving convenience to vehicle owners. These services include location-specific emergency and roadside assistance, automatic collision notification, stolen vehicle recovery, remote diagnostics and real-time traffic and navigation assistance. ATX, the largest independent telematics provider not owned by an automobile manufacturer or telecommunications firm, also provides telematics services designed to help automobile manufacturers and their affiliated dealerships to use telematics data to reduce costs, enhance vehicle servicing, and more closely manage customer relationships. ATX services are provided to vehicle owners through the brand names of its customers -- Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Maybach, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.