Sygic has extended its Truck Navigation app with collision recognition and emergency messaging, delivering on its promise to continually improve road safety. The feature monitors the drive, and in case of a collision and the driver’s inability to respond, it automatically sends an SMS to the designated emergency contact.

“With the rising number of vehicles on the road, businesses have to find new ways to assist their drivers. The safety of our users is our utmost priority and we want to be involved at every step of their journey, either by preventing incidents or offering help in those moments where every second counts,” said Jozef Klinovsky, Head of Product Delivery at Sygic.

Collision detection is performed by a mobile phone, combining information from various sensors for precise recognition.

“When using a phone to detect vehicle collision, you have to be cautious and not trigger a collision event every time the phone falls on the floor. Combining information about speed, g-force, and GPS has allowed us to do just that,” added Klinovsky.

In case a collision is detected, a 30-second countdown is started, during which the driver has the option to cancel the notification. If they don’t, an emergency message is sent to the selected contact.

In case the driver cancels the alert, but still requires assistance, they may call for emergency services themselves with just one click. The emergency number is pre-filled based on the country that they are currently in, meaning long-haul drivers don’t have to remember emergency contacts for every country they are regularly driving through.

Additional help comes in the form of offering information about the nearest police station, hospital, gas station, or pharmacy.

Truck Lifeguard is available as part of the Sygic Truck Navigation for Android and iOS; however, its potential is much greater, playing a part in a wide variety of assistance systems, where it can significantly help with saving lives.