A new Ford technology, which assists occupants in making a call directly to 999 services in the event of a crash, has won a prestigious technology award after being been introduced on the all-new B-MAX.

Ford's Emergency Assistance alerts local emergency services operators, in the correct local language based on GPS coordinates from the vehicle, after an accident. It is the most advanced system of its type and forms a key part of Ford's voice-activated in-car connectivity system SYNC, which makes its European debut in the all-new B-MAX.

Emergency Assistance won the "Best Mobile Innovation for Automotive, Transport or Utilities" category at the 2012 Global Mobile Awards, Barcelona. The achievement crowned a historic few days at Mobile World Congress for Ford, as the B-MAX became the first car ever to make its debut at the show and Bill Ford, executive chairman, Ford Motor Company, became the first automotive industry leader to deliver a keynote speech at the event.

"Ford is delighted to see the potentially life-saving benefits of SYNC with Emergency Assistance recognized by international communications technology experts," said Stephen Odell, chairman and CEO, Ford of Europe. "Emergency Assistance makes full use of mobile communications technology to deliver an extremely valuable service to Ford customers, free-of charge for the lifetime of their vehicle."

The activation of an airbag or the vehicle's emergency fuel pump shut-off prompts the vehicle to initiate an emergency call, using an introductory message, through the occupant's Bluetooth connected mobile
phone.

The system also identifies the accident location co-ordinates using the on-board GPS unit, map and mobile network information, and saves crucial seconds by placing a call directly to emergency service operators rather
than first routing through a third party call centre.

The production-ready Ford B-MAX will make its automotive show debut at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, next week and goes on sale later in the year. Autobiz will be at the Geneva Show to report on all the new technology on offer.