Connected Vehicles and NG911: How Automatic Crash Data Is Saving Lives Before Anyone Dials 911

Picture this: a single-car accident on a rural highway late at night. The driver is unconscious.

There are no witnesses. No bystanders to call 911. In a legacy emergency system, help would

not arrive until someone happened to drive past the scene, sometimes minutes or even hours

Later.

Now imagine the same scenario with a connected vehicle. The moment of impact, the car's

onboard sensors detect the crash. Within seconds, the vehicle automatically transmits data to a

911 center: the exact GPS location, the speed at impact, which airbags deployed, the severity of

the collision, and even a predicted injury assessment for the occupants.

A dispatcher receives this information in real time, dispatches EMS with the right resources, and first responders arrive at the scene prepared for what they will find. No phone call required. No

delays. No guesswork.

This is not a concept from a future technology roadmap. And in this blog from NGA, we’ll discuss how this is happening today, and how it’s powered by Advanced Automatic Collision Notification (AACN) and the modern NG911 (Next Generation 911) infrastructure that makes it possible. 

What Is AACN and How Is It Different from Basic Crash Detection?

If you own a modern vehicle, you may already be familiar with some form of automatic crash

detection. Systems like GM's OnStar, Apple's Crash Detection on iPhone and Apple Watch, and

similar features in newer Tesla vehicles can detect a severe crash and automatically contact

emergency services.

These basic Automatic Crash Notification (ACN) systems represent the first generation of this

technology. They typically detect a crash event and initiate a voice call to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), sometimes accompanied by GPS coordinates. While this is a significant improvement over no notification at all, the information transmitted is limited: the system confirms a crash occurred and provides a location.

Advanced Automatic Collision Notification, or AACN, takes this concept much further. AACN

systems transmit a rich set of data about the crash event, giving emergency responders detailed

information they can use to make faster, better decisions before they even arrive on scene.

What AACN data typically includes:

• Exact GPS location of the vehicle at the moment of impact. 
• Speed and direction of travel at the time of the crash. One of the strongest predictors of injury severity. 
• Change in velocity (delta-V), including which airbags fired and their timing. 
• Airbag deployment details detected in the vehicle and number of occupants. 
• Seatbelt usage status and the vehicle's final resting position. 
• Rollover detection using algorithms that assess crash characteristics against injury probability models for predicted injury severity. 

This level of detail transforms how 911 centers and first responders can react to a motor vehicle

crash. Instead of a dispatcher asking, "Can you tell me what happened?", the system delivers a

comprehensive crash profile before anyone speaks a word.

The Numbers: 2,129 Lives Saved Each Year

In January 2026 a landmark study presented at CES 2026, the world's largest consumer electronics conference. Their whitepaper, "Making Seconds Count with Advanced Automatic Collision Notification," was grounded in a national consumer survey of more than 5,000 U.S. drivers and an analysis of crash response data.

The headline finding: AACN could prevent more than 2,129 deaths annually in the United

States, representing a 13.2% reduction in roadway fatalities.

The study also found that when emergency response time extends beyond 12 minutes,

mortality increases by 46% compared to responses completed in under 7 minutes. Every second matters, and AACN's ability to eliminate the time between a crash and the 911 notification is where those lives are saved. 

The consumer survey revealed strong public support for this technology:

• 94% of drivers support sharing vehicle and occupant data with 911 during emergencies. 
• 70% of drivers say AACN availability would influence their next vehicle purchase. 
• 84% of drivers are aware of post-crash safety features in their current vehicle. 

These numbers make it clear: the public wants this technology, and they trust it. The question is

whether 911 centers have the infrastructure to receive and use it.

Why AACN Only Works With NG911

Here is the critical technical reality that many people outside the public safety industry do not

realize: legacy 911 systems cannot handle AACN data.

Traditional Enhanced 911 (E911) systems were built on analog, circuit-switched networks

designed to carry voice calls. They were not designed to receive structured data packets from

connected vehicles, parse injury severity predictions, or display real-time crash telemetry on a

dispatcher's screen.

Next Generation 911 (NG911) changes everything. NG911 systems are built on IP-based

Emergency Services IP Networks (ESInets) that support voice, text, photos, video, and, critically, structured data from connected devices. This includes telematics data from vehicles equipped with AACN systems.

Here’s how the data flows in an NG911 environment: 

• Step1: The vehicle's sensors detect a crash and compile crash data (location, speed, delta-V, airbag deployment, occupant information, injury prediction).
• Step 2: The vehicle's telematics system transmits this data to a Telematics Service Provider (TSP).
• Step 3: The TSP formats the data according to NENA i3 standards and sends it as a Vehicular Emergency Data Set (VEDS) through the ESInet to the appropriate PSAP.
• Step 4: The PSAP's call handling system receives the data, displays it to the dispatcher, and routes it alongside any accompanying voice or text communication.
• Step 5: The dispatcher reviews the crash profile, dispatches the appropriate resources (EMS, fire, law enforcement), and shares relevant data with first responders en route.

This end-to-end data flow is only possible on an NG911 network. Without the ESInet

infrastructure, AACN data cannot reach the people who need it most.

NGA 911 and Connected Vehicle Data

NGA 911's cloud-native NG911 platform, including its Next Generation Core Services (NGCS),

ESInet, and Call Handling Solution, is built to support exactly this kind of data-rich emergency

Communication.

NGA 911 has partnered with Roadside Telematics Corp (RTC), the leading provider of contextual vehicular emergency data, to link connected cars with NG911 systems and first responders nationwide. RTC's RoadMedic platform is the first and only Telematics Service Provider (TSP)-agnostic data delivery platform that enables automaker-sponsored NENA i3-compliant Vehicular Emergency Data Set (VEDS) solutions.

Through this partnership, NGA 911's platform delivers RoadMedic data directly to 911 centers

with the telematics call. The NGA 911 Call Handling Solution can receive and display enhanced

situational awareness data directly to telecommunicators, giving them the crash context they

need to dispatch the right response, faster.

This means that PSAPs running on NGA 911's infrastructure are not just ready for connected

vehicle data; they are already equipped to receive and act on it.

Beyond Cars: The Broader Connected Device Ecosystem

AACN is just one part of a much larger story about connected devices and NG911. 

The same IP-based infrastructure that enables crash data from vehicles also supports: 

• Personal safety devices and wearables that can detect falls, cardiac events, or other medical emergencies and automatically alert 911. 
• Smart home sensors that detect fires, gas leaks, or intrusions and send alerts with precise location data. 
• Medical alert systems that transmit patient vital signs and health history to dispatchers before EMS arrives. 
• IoT infrastructure sensors in smart buildings, bridges, and public spaces that can report structural failures or environmental hazards in real time. 

Each of these data sources adds another layer of situational awareness for emergency responders. And each one requires the same underlying Next Generation 911 infrastructure to function: an IP-based ESInet, cloud-based core services, and a call handling system capable of receiving and displaying structured data.

The PSAPs that invest in this infrastructure today are not just preparing for connected vehicles.

They are preparing for the entire future of emergency communications.

What PSAPs Should Do to Prepare

Connected vehicle data is not a distant possibility. It is arriving now, and the volume will only

increase as more vehicles ship with AACN-capable telematics systems. 

Here’s what PSAP leaders should be thinking about:

Assess Your NG911 Readiness

Can your current infrastructure receive structured data from telematics providers? If you

are still on a legacy E911 system, AACN data cannot reach your dispatchers.

Ask Your NG911 Vendor about VEDS Support

Not all NG911 platforms are equal. Ensure your vendor supports NENA i3-compliant

Vehicular Emergency Data Set integration and can display crash data in your call handling

system.

Update Dispatcher Training

Telecommunicators need to understand how to interpret AACN data, including delta-V

readings, injury severity predictions, and occupant information. This data changes how resources are dispatched.

Plan for CAD Integration

Crash data is most valuable when it flows directly into your Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system. Work with your vendor to ensure seamless integration between telematics data and your dispatch workflows.

Engage with Your Local Automaker and TSP Ecosystem

Connected vehicle programs are expanding rapidly. PSAPs that proactively connect with telematics service providers will be ready when the data starts flowing.

The 911 Call That Saves Your Life May Come From Your Car

The traditional model of emergency response starts with a phone call. Someone witnesses or

experiences an emergency, dials 911, describes the situation, and waits for help. This model has saved countless lives over the past five decades.

But it has a critical weakness: it depends entirely on a human being able to make that call. In a

severe car crash, the occupants may be unconscious, injured, or in shock. On a remote highway, there may be no witnesses for miles. In these moments, the traditional model fails.

Connected vehicles equipped with AACN eliminate that gap. They ensure that emergency

responders are alerted within seconds of a crash, with detailed data that helps them dispatch

the right resources to the right location, immediately.

This is not a future technology. It is here today. And it is powered by the same NG911

infrastructure that is modernizing every aspect of emergency communications.

Conclusion 

The question for PSAPs is simple: when that crash data arrives, will your system be ready to

receive it? 

Contact NGA to learn more about NG911-powered support connected vehicle data and the future of intelligent emergency response.