The American College of Surgeons (ACS) recognizes the following:
- Motor Vehicle Collisions continue to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States (US) even with the advancements in motor vehicle engineering and road safety which have occurred over the last 75 years.
- Longer response times from collision to notification of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) have been associated with an increased risk of death, particularly in rural areas.
- Automatic Crash Notification (ACN) can allow Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs), also known as 911 dispatch centers, to be notified in real time of the exact crash location. This has the potential to improve EMS response times.
- Advanced Automatic Crash Notification (AACN) Systems collect data that immediately identifies crashes which may have caused severe injuries. However, the technology for transmission of these data to PSAPs in the US is underdeveloped. AACN has the potential to facilitate expeditious EMS resource allocation, such as advanced life support units, aeromedical resources, and extrication equipment.
- In March 2018, the European Union mandated that all new vehicles have an “eCall” Automatic Crash Notification system installed that is activated in a serious crash and calls EMS free of charge (i.e., without a paid subscription), regardless of where the vehicle was purchased or registered.
- The technology to support ACN is included in most new vehicles, but its utilization is limited by vehicle owners not subscribing to ACN services.
- Several public safety advocates have petitioned for ACN to provide these services free of charge in all new vehicles.
The ACS therefore supports the following:
- Standardizing ACN/AACN systems in all new motor vehicles without additional subscription fees, ensuring availability and connectivity in rural areas with limited cellular coverage.
- Creating a mechanism to make data publicly available from ACN/AACN systems to injury prevention scientists and trauma system experts for research on motor vehicle crashes, EMS response times, and crash-related injury patterns.
- Federal funding and support for research and collaboration with organizations, such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, to better understand the impact of ACN/AACN on EMS and hospital communications, and the injury epidemiology of motor vehicle crashes.
