Cell phones that automatically dial 911 in a crash

Drivers with GM's OnStar service have long been able to summon aid with the touch of a little blue button on their rearview mirrors, but New Scientist has reported on a recent patent application from Texas Instruments that describes a technology allowing cell phones to automatically detect an accident and dial 911 for help.
An accelerometer built into a cell phone could detect a violent shock and compare it to other acceleration profiles in a library to determine whether the shock resulted from a safe event, like the device being dropped, or a dangerous one like an auto accident. If the cause is determined to be dangerous, 911 is automatically dialed a recorded message is transmitted. Phones enabled with GPS could also provide the exact location of an accident. The real beauty of this technology is that travels with you from vehicle to vehicle and could quickly be disabled in the event of a false alarm.

[Hat tip to Transport Trends]