Intrado’s 2026 State of the 9-1-1 Industry Report highlights the growing importance of connected vehicles in public safety

For automotive OEMs, vehicle safety has long focused on preventing collisions and protecting occupants during impacts. 

Yet as connectivity transforms both vehicles and emergency response systems, a new dimension of safety is emerging that ensures critical information reaches emergency responders as quickly and accurately as possible after a crash occurs.

These are some of the key takeaways from Intrado, North America's largest 9-1-1 provider, in its newly released State of the 9-1-1 Industry report, which examines the technologies, policies, and ecosystem developments shaping the future of emergency communications.

State of the 9-1-1 Industry Report 2026

Intrado’s findings are that the  9-1-1 ecosystem is more capable and more complex than ever before - one where the technology to save more lives exists, the will to deploy it is growing, and the work of connecting all the pieces is moving forward in earnest.

For automakers, connected services are rapidly becoming part of an emergency response infrastructure. Intrado’s collaboration with Toyota Connected shows how telematics data can be delivered to Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs), including vehicle speed, rollover, occupancy, seatbelt use, and potential for fuel-leakage, all of which can help dispatchers quickly choose the right response options. This creates a clear product and safety advantage for OEMs that can securely transmit high-quality crash data into 9-1-1 workflows

The report highlights how Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1), cloud-based infrastructure, artificial intelligence, satellite connectivity, and connected devices are fundamentally changing how emergency services receive and process information.

Important subjects covered within the extensive report include:

• Next Generation 9-1-1 – which is now rapidly moving toward data-rich emergency communications, that create opportunities for text, photos, video, better location accuracy, AI-assisted triage, and critically tighter integration with connected vehicles and telematics.

• Artificial Intelligence – integration creates opportunities for faster responses, lower dispatcher burden, and effective use of data like text, images, and location context in emergency centers.

• Cybersecurity - critical in NG9-1-1 to protect emergency communications from attacks, ensuring reliable, secure, and uninterrupted public safety services.

• The Transition to Cloud-Based Services - creates opportunities for scalable, lower-cost emergency platforms with AI-assisted call handling, multimedia sharing, and improved interoperability.

• 9-1-1 Over Satellite - expands emergency coverage in remote and underserved areas, creating opportunities for universal access, faster response times, and improved public safety resilience.

  
  

As connectivity transforms both vehicles and emergency response systems, a new dimension of safety is emerging that ensures critical information reaches emergency responders as quickly and accurately as possible after a crash occurs.

One area gaining particular attention is Advanced Automatic Crash Notification (AACN), which automatically transmits crash-related information such as vehicle location, crash characteristics, and other relevant telemetry following a collision. 

While emergency calling systems have become common across many vehicle platforms, advancements in crash data analytics are creating opportunities to provide responders with more meaningful insights before they arrive on scene.

Rather than relying solely on a voice conversation, emergency responders are gaining access to richer contextual information that can improve situational awareness and support more informed decision-making.

This enables emergency centers to receive and process a broader range of information, including precise location data, text messages, images, video, telematics information and machine-generated alerts from connected devices.

AACN improves 9-1-1 workflows by ensuring essential information gets to where it’s needed immediately - from the vehicle to the 9-1-1 network, into call and dispatch systems, and then to first responders.

AACN is a potential life-saver when occupants are incapacitated or knocked unconscious, trapped, or unable to communicate - AACN acts as an automatic lifeline.

AACN does not provide the kind of subjective information that a bystander calling 9-1-1 would. It is objective, sensor-derived information from inside the crash itself, available within seconds of impact, whether or not anyone is there to witness the event.

For robotaxis and autonomous trucks, AACN also improves triage and dispatch decisions by helping emergency centers send the right resources, because the vehicle can report telemetry, occupant status, and crash context directly into NG9-1-1 workflows.

Intrado conclude that AACN and NG9-1-1 represent the most significant opportunity in decades to improve outcomes for crash victims, particularly in rural areas where there might be no one there to call 9-1-1.

Intrado research suggests:

• The average response time before AACN is 12 minutes.

• The average response time when AACN is available is 4-5 minutes.

• Getting to the scene in under 7 minutes could prevent over 2000 deaths in the USA annually.

For automotive OEMs, the evolution in emergency services communication also creates an important opportunity. 

• For automotive product planners, the implications extend beyond compliance or telematics feature development. 

• As emergency communications infrastructure modernizes, connected safety services may become an increasingly important differentiator within the customer experience while supporting broader public safety objectives.

• Vehicles are increasingly becoming active participants in the broader public safety ecosystem, creating new opportunities to improve post-collision outcomes and enhance the value of connected safety services.

• The growing number of Autonomous Vehicles drives home the importance of NG-AACN and the requirement to facilitate a dialog around the potential for regulatory guidance.

  
  

Industry Collaboration Will Be Critical

The broader opportunity is also reflected in the ongoing Drive for 2,000 Lives initiative, a collaboration between Intrado and SBD Automotive focused on advancing AACN adoption across the automotive ecosystem. 

The initiative brings together automotive OEMs, telematics providers, public safety organizations, emergency communications experts, and technology partners to address barriers that have historically limited AACN deployment. 

Key focus areas include improving interoperability between automotive and public safety systems, reducing adoption barriers, encouraging broader industry participation, and ensuring critical crash data can be delivered consistently and effectively to emergency responders.

The entire ecosystem - including OEMs, telematics service providers, NG9-1-1 technology providers, emergency medical services, and regulators, must work together to ensure crash data can flow seamlessly from vehicle to responder.

As NG9-1-1 infrastructure continues to expand, these collaborative efforts will become increasingly important.

The Intrado 2026 State of the 9-1-1 Industry report ultimately reinforces a simple but important message: 

• The future of automotive safety will not be defined solely by preventing crashes.

• It will also be shaped by how effectively vehicles integrate with the emergency response ecosystem when collisions do occur.

  
  

As public safety agencies, technology providers, and automotive manufacturers continue to collaborate, connected vehicle data has the potential to become an increasingly valuable tool in helping emergency responders make faster, more informed decisions when every second matters.

In summary, the 2026 State of the 9-1-1 Industry report finds an ecosystem that is both more capable and more complex than ever before. 

Technology to save more lives exists, the will to deploy it is growing - and the entire ecosystem must evolve wisely to deliver on that promise.

Download the Free Report

To learn more about the technologies, policy developments, and ecosystem trends shaping the future of emergency communications, download Intrado's free 2026 State of the 9-1-1 Industry report here.

For additional insight into how the automotive industry is working to advance emergency response capabilities, access the Intrado and SBD Automotive announcement: "Intrado and SBD Automotive Demonstrate How Advanced Automatic Collision Notification (AACN) Could Save More Than 2,000 Lives Annually."

"Intrado’s newly released State of the 9-1-1 Industry report gives excellent expert insights into the exciting new technological developments in post-accident emergency response. SBD Automotive and Intrado are combining their knowledge and expertise to simplify the journey for Automakers towards an ecosystem that effectively supports Advanced Automatic Collision Notification (AACN). Proactive OEMs are already involved - those left behind will soon hear from their customers if they don’t follow suit! SBD Automotive and Intrado are at the forefront of the implementation of this exciting new technology - please connect and contact for a conversation!" Jim Day, SBD Automotive Senior Consultant