Enhancing Security on the Highways Through Innovative Technology
The SOS Autoestradas app, a groundbreaking innovation in roadside assistance, has been launched in Portugal by APCAP (the Portuguese Association of Toll Bridge and Motorway Concessionaires) in collaboration with ARMIS ITS. This app, now available for download on both the Apple Store and Google Play Store, aims to simplify and streamline the process of requesting assistance on Portuguese highways.
One of the key features of the SOS Autoestradas app is its ability to precisely locate a vehicle in distress, providing its exact position, direction of travel, and the specific lane where it is immobilized. This eliminates the need for drivers to use traditional SOS stations or memorize emergency numbers. When a driver reports an incident via the app, it sends an alert directly to the traffic control center of the relevant highway concessionaire, enabling faster and more accurate dispatch of assistance teams.
The app offers several features that improve the roadside assistance process:
- Automatic and accurate vehicle location: The app detects the exact kilometer mark, direction, and lane, which speeds up response times.
- Concessionaire identification: The app automatically identifies which concessionaire manages the highway section where the incident occurs, streamlining communication and coordination.
- Flexible contact methods: Drivers can choose to communicate via voice or text messages to describe the situation and request help.
- Direct emergency calls: In cases with injuries or incidents outside the concessionaire network, the app allows immediate calling of the national emergency number 112, ensuring comprehensive emergency coverage.
- Accessibility for all users: The app can be used by drivers of light vehicles, heavy goods vehicles, and passenger transports.
- Digital alternative to physical SOS points: By allowing anyone with the app to act as an SOS post, it eliminates the need to walk to the nearest SOS phone station, which are often underused.
The SOS Autoestradas app is expected to provide a modern, convenient, and safer solution that speeds up the assistance process, reduces response times, and enhances road safety across Portugal’s motorway and toll bridge network managed by APCAP members. Manuel Melo Ramos, president of APCAP, stated that the app is a giant leap forward in safety and convenience for all road users in Portugal.
Incidents peak during the summer season, and approximately 12,500 people contact concessionaires' helplines annually, adding to the approximately 150,000 incidents detected by assistance services each year over the last decade. The metropolitan areas of Lisbon and Porto, as well as the areas where each concessionaire operates, experience the highest volume of calls. The app represents a significant advancement in safety and convenience for all road users in Portugal.
[1] APCAP Press Release, "APCAP launches the SOS Autoestradas app to improve road safety and streamline assistance services", 2021. [2] ARMIS ITS Press Release, "ARMIS ITS partners with APCAP to develop the SOS Autoestradas app", 2021. [3] APCAP Fact Sheet, "SOS Autoestradas app: A new era for roadside assistance in Portugal", 2021. [4] APCAP Safety Report, "Improving road safety through technology: The SOS Autoestradas app", 2021.
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