Experience has taught Auto & General Insurance that the time it takes emergency services to reach someone in an emergency situation can make the difference between life and death. In fact, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), delays in detecting and providing care for those involved in a car accident increase the severity of injuries.
In addition to this, and according to the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), in 2016, 32.7% of the 14 071 people that died on our roads were passengers.
With this in mind, and to ensure that its customers receive timeous medical attention following an accident in whatever car they are in, Auto & General Insurance has launched AutoSOS.
AutoSOS is a smartphone-based automatic crash detection service, powered by an intuitive app, which eliminates the need for a deep-installed device.
“The aim of AutoSOS is to reduce the response time of emergency medical services by pinpointing the exact location of an accident. The app is available to the regular driver on any Auto & General comprehensive car policy and will be active in whatever vehicle the customer is in,” says Tania Joffe, Head of Auto & General Brokers.
To benefit from the App, the regular driver simply needs to download the app from their relevant app store and register.
“This ensures that if the driver is involved in an accident, the app will not only detect it, it will gauge its severity, based on an intricate algorithm. In a severe accident, when the driver is unconscious, the AutoSOS call centre will be automatically notified and medical responders will be sent to the location immediately,” says Joffe.
It is vital that the regular driver registers on the app, saves their medical aid details and ensures these details are always kept up-to-date, as these details may impact the action taken by the Emergency Medical Services.
Joffe concludes: “Considering the life altering difference that AutoSOS can make, it goes far beyond the category of benefits and into the realm of tangible peace of mind.”
