Enhancing post-crash vehicle safety through an automatic collision notification system

In August of 2000, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) completed an Automated Collision Notification (ACN) Field Operational Test (FOT) in Erie County, New York, that combined crash sensing, position location, and wireless communications technology in a system with the goal of saving lives and reducing disabilities from injuries by providing faster and more informed emergency medical responses to serious injury crashes. The ACN FOT Team designed and built an ACN system prior to the start of the test period in July 1997. ACN in-vehicle systems were than installed in 850 vehicles. The crash notification messages were delivered to emergency response and dispatch equipment installed at the Erie County Sheriff's Office, which served as the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for this FOT. The data collected during the three-year test period and the crashes experienced by the test fleet demonstrated the feasibility of fielding an ACN system and the potential benefits of the system to the victims of motor vehicle crashes. An estimate of the potential benefits using a methodology based on the FOT data is also given.