Automatic Crash-Alert System Implemented in Japan

Full implementation of the advanced automatic collision-notification system D-Call Net is under way at about 730 locations throughout Japan.

D-Call Net uses vehicle connectivity technology to estimate the probability of fatal and serious injuries by automatically analyzing data from both vehicles in an accident based on data from about 2.8 million accidents in Japan.

The aim is to increase the number of lives saved after traffic accidents by making immediate dispatch decisions with air and ground ambulances through reporting to fire departments and hospitals.

A trial launched in November 2015 has seen base hospitals and air ambulances prepare systems to transmit fatal- and serious-injury probability data from vehicles to all fire departments within the trial area.

When the trial started there were 10 hospitals in nine prefectures with nine air ambulances. This has grown to 42 hospitals in 31 prefectures with 37 air ambulances. Organizers say this represents about 70% of the 61 base hospitals with air ambulances nationwide.

Toyota has 96,000 D-Call Net applicable car models on the road, Lexus has 77,000 and Honda 278,000.

With vehicle connectivity rapidly progressing, the service will be expanded to more vehicles as a Japan-wide initiative, including customers with imported vehicles.

“Trial results show that D-Call Net can reduce air ambulance dispatch time by 17 minutes,” says Nobuo Shinoda, chairman of the nonprofit Emergency Medical Network of Helicopter and Hospital. “We want to contribute to an improvement in the number of lives saved throughout Japan by introducing D-Call Net support into as many vehicles as possible.”