The wireless internet networks aren’t often the first thing on your mind when you think of a car accident. However, one of the most common safety features is automatic crash notifications, but with the recent closing of 3G networks, many cars may no longer have that functionality.
What does 3G have to do with automatic crash notifications?
While most 3G functionality has been usurped by faster 4G and 5G networks, 3G’s ubiquity still provided significant coverage for automatic crash notifications. Now they simply will not work without an upgrade. While there are some opportunities for upgrading, the patches and work will be inconsistent across all affected vehicles.
Why is crash notification so important?
Automatic crash notification is so important because of the term called the “golden hour.” Simply, the golden hour is the first 60 minutes after an accident. The thinking is if a person receives treatment quickly enough – within that first hour – then they have a much better survival rate. While there are some criticisms of the exact time – whether or not it is precisely an hour or not – all sources agree that sooner is always better for medical treatment.
Some of these automatic systems are non-functional, which may lead to many unnecessary deaths.
This is a complex area of the law.
From a legal standpoint, this matter may become a gravely concerning one in the future. For now, it is something to consider if your vehicle has an automatic crash notification.
