Automatic Accident Detection: Assistance Through Communication Technologies and Vehicles

In this article, e-NOTIFY system is presented, which allows fast detection of traffic accidents, improving the assistance to injured passengers by reducing the response time of emergency services through the efficient communication of relevant information about the accident using a combination of V2V and V2I communications. The proposed system requires installing OBUs in the vehicles, in charge of detecting accidents and notifying them to an external CU, which will estimate the severity of the accident and inform the appropriate emergency services about the incident. This architecture replaces the current mechanisms for notification of accidents based on witnesses, who may provide incomplete or incorrect information after a long time. The development of a low-cost prototype shows that it is feasible to massively incorporate this system in existing vehicles.