SiriusXM taps RapidSOS to send car crash data to emergency responders

SiriusXM, the company best known for its satellite radios, has teamed up with RapidSOS, an emergency tech company, to help EMS and law enforcement respond to recent car crashes. Under this new 'joint effort,' SiriusXM will connect its Connected Vehicle Services Advanced Automatic Crash Notification platform with the RapidSOS data platform to send 911 services relevant info about a wreck, such as how severe it was and what kind of crash took place.

SiriusXM introduced its connected vehicle platform for crash alerts and real-time vehicle location monitoring back in 2018. This new arrangement with RapidSOS builds upon that, using the latter company's emergency response rapid data platform to transmit the wreck information gathered by SiriusXM's platform to the emergency responders who would most benefit from it.

By sharing this data with EMS and law enforcement, emergency response can be tailored to the needs of the incident, including more accurately estimating how many responders will be needed at the scene and what kind of medical services may be needed. More than 10 million vehicles in North America feature this integrated safety technology.

The kind of data that will be provided to 911 centers — assuming the driver agrees to use the system — includes things like whether the airbag deployed, where the crash happened, which part of the vehicle was struck, changes in speed, whether the vehicle rolled, how many people are in the vehicle, whether seat belts were being used, the position of the seats, the vehicle's make/model/VIN, and any info about the driver and passengers that may be available, such as their names.

RapidSOS subscribers can also set up a MedicAlert profile that includes their relevant medical information, such as blood type and allergies. By tapping the RapidSOS system, SiriusXM explains that it eliminates the need for someone to verbally share the information with a 911 center, something that takes more time and provides less information.