Does Tesla 3 have any type of an automatic Emergency Response System (ERS) that alerts 1st responders in case one has an accident and is alone and unconscious?
Shouldn't that be one of Tesla's updates? It should be rather straight forward, since it already has the mechanics?
WilliamG
Active Member
I think if the airbags are deployed, Tesla should call the owner immediately, and if nobody can be reached by phone, then 911 should be automatic. Something to this effect would be awesome.
Now, sometimes airbags don't deploy, but this would be at least a step in the right direction.
Now, sometimes airbags don't deploy, but this would be at least a step in the right direction.
Teslas are not set up to make or receive phone calls using the built in cellular connection. They pay for data only. And the data is limited to navigation, music and video streaming (if you have premium connectivity). GM has the Onstar service but there is a fee for them to contact an emergency dispatch center to handle the calls. If Tesla were to do that they would have to set up a similar service with a similar fee structure.
If they could negotiate with AT&T to allow emergency texting to be enabled they could theoretically send a text to your personal contact of choice to notify them that there was an accident. But that would involve AT&T agreeing to allow it and not charging any extra for it.
So it could happen at some point if Tesla decides it’s an important feature to have. But it’s not as simple as writing some code.
If they could negotiate with AT&T to allow emergency texting to be enabled they could theoretically send a text to your personal contact of choice to notify them that there was an accident. But that would involve AT&T agreeing to allow it and not charging any extra for it.
So it could happen at some point if Tesla decides it’s an important feature to have. But it’s not as simple as writing some code.
dmurphy
Woof.
... but it is though. The vehicle uses SMS as a control channel (that’s how it gets woken up, for starters.). That could be a very simple channel to signal an accident has occurred.
The vehicle doesn’t need traditional voice service; it has an LTE radio. Two way communication can run right over the data link (think WhatsApp etc) just fine. No PTSN connection would be needed.
it’s “just” programming. No hardware or additional services needed.
boaterva
Supporting Member
Huh? I’ve heard many stories of Tesla calling owners when accidents have occurred to check on them and the car. Don’t know if it’s every single time or what but I know I’ve seen this occur. Also don’t know what level of damage would trigger it (air bags or g-force or what).
Definitely happens at some level of damage.
Definitely happens at some level of damage.
Who would they be sending this signal to and what would be required to receive and decode the signal?
Yes, the car will report accidents and system failures to Tesla but I would not want a Tesla call center being responsible for responding to a life or death situation. If they get busy this could easily slip through the cracks.
dmurphy
Woof.
OnStar does this all day, every day. Has been for 25+ years. It works well. Should be part of the Tesla Premium Connectivity service, IMO.
No reason Tesla couldn't do the same.
That said - Text-to-911 is a thing. Not all PSAPs support it yet, but more are added by the day.
Text to 911: What You Need To Know
I’m just not convinced that Tesla has the rights to send text or SMS messages to a third party. I believe their licensing agreement on how the service can be used is very restrictive. Remember that most people pay nothing to use the cellular service. The premium connectivity, which is only $10/month, only adds music and video streaming, not text/voice/email services. And cars that were built prior to July 2018 don’t pay anything for the service.
dmurphy
Woof.
That's easily solved. AT&T has the backend to support exactly such a thing; they do it today for OnStar. Verizon has done it previously for OnStar, and they have similar platforms as well. The trail's well worn these days. Airbag deployments, sensor data etc are likely part of the normal telemetry stream anyway; if Tesla chose to pluck those error messages out and then notify authorities based on that, they almost certainly wouldn't need a carrier agreement for such. It's part of the data they're already receiving in real time.
None of this is really difficult, to be frank. It's been done many times before.
Even if this is true, the car has connectivity with Tesla's servers. All they would need to do is send data to Tesla's servers, which could in turn use a gateway service like Twilio to send an SMS.
This feature should be a thing. My Honda's Hondalink profile had a spot where I could plug in up to 2 phone numbers for them to call in the event of an airbag deployment. Even if it's not a human calling, a service like Twilio can deliver a pre-recorded or even speech-to-text voice message.
Edit: Heck, my 2007 Ford Fusion had a Microsoft Sync feature that would use the Bluetooth connected cell phone to dial 911 in the event of an airbag deployment. 2007.
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My 2012 Mustang had this as well. Luckily I never encountered a situation where it was used. This would be a nice feature to have on the 3.
boaterva
Supporting Member
Right, didn’t mean they were the means for EMS response only that I had heard of them responding like Onstar to a crash to check on driver/passengers. No idea if this is a normal thing or what.
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