How OnStar predicts injuries before paramedics arrive
2025-09-17
This September, during National Preparedness Month, we’re reminded that readiness isn’t just about personal preparedness, it’s about equipping first responders with the tools they need to save lives. At GM, we developed OnStar’s Injury Severity Prediction to do exactly that, turning crash data into life-saving insight before paramedics arrive.
Faster Answers, Smarter Response
OnStar already answers emergency calls in mere seconds. With the help of advanced analytics, its system goes further, instantly assessing crash severity, and predicting the kind of care required.
As the only U.S. automaker with a dedicated emergency call center, GM gives first responders a clearer picture, faster. In 2024, OnStar advisors completed emergency dispatches for nearly 40,000 calls that required emergency medical, police or fire assistance.
Crash Analytics in Real Time
At the heart of this is Injury Severity Prediction (ISP), an analytics tool developed with one goal in mind: making vehicles more useful and lifesaving in critical moments. ISP works alongside OnStar’s Automatic Crash Response technology.
When a crash occurs, ISP analyzes signals such as impact force, change in velocity, and occupant location to predict whether someone in the vehicle faces a severe injury that meets the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) threshold for high-level trauma care.
OnStar’s Emergency-Certified Advisors then combine that prediction with live information from occupants, giving first responders a real-time triage snapshot: who requires immediate attention, what resources to send, and where to transport patients.
Smarter Triage, Faster Care
With ISP, first responders can:
ISP shortens the gap between crash and care by making the invisible visible, surfacing critical information that can’t be detected from a phone call alone.
Two crashes may look identical on the surface. But with sensor data, ISP can reveal hidden risks, like a crash angle that signals internal trauma. That insight can trigger a faster, more robust medical response, even when an occupant can’t speak for themselves.
The impact is measurable. According to Dr. Stewart C. Wang, Executive Director of the International Center for Automotive Medicine at the University of Michigan:
“For critically injured patients, the mortality rate can be decreased by 25 percent if they are transported to high-level trauma centers versus a non-trauma center. ISP helps connect the right patients with the right treatment. It allows first responders to apply their resources in the most effective and efficient manner, while validating minor crashes that may not require a full EMS response.”
OnStar’s Edge
ISP underscores the unique power of combining technology with human expertise. OnStar’s Advisors bring empathy and experience, while advanced analytics deliver precision and speed. It’s timeless innovation built on nearly 30 years of trusted service, deep partnerships with first responders, and GM’s unmatched scale of connected vehicles.
OnStar advisor Jessica Menzie shared, “When I get a call with HIGH ISP, it helps me form a clearer picture of what might be happening on scene with our member. It’s helpful to share that information with police so they’re aware of the potential for severe injuries while our partner is still gathering initial details. When I see HIGH ISP, I always prioritize giving that to the call center first so emergency services can be dispatched as quickly as possible.”
As emergency challenges grow, OnStar continues to push the boundaries of how technology and human intelligence work together, helping save lives when every second matters.
General Motors' OnStar provides technology to help responders.
This September, during National Preparedness Month, we’re reminded that readiness isn’t just about personal preparedness, it’s about equipping first responders with the tools they need to save lives. At GM, we developed OnStar’s Injury Severity Prediction to do exactly that, turning crash data into life-saving insight before paramedics arrive.
Faster Answers, Smarter Response
OnStar already answers emergency calls in mere seconds. With the help of advanced analytics, its system goes further, instantly assessing crash severity, and predicting the kind of care required.
As the only U.S. automaker with a dedicated emergency call center, GM gives first responders a clearer picture, faster. In 2024, OnStar advisors completed emergency dispatches for nearly 40,000 calls that required emergency medical, police or fire assistance.
Crash Analytics in Real Time
At the heart of this is Injury Severity Prediction (ISP), an analytics tool developed with one goal in mind: making vehicles more useful and lifesaving in critical moments. ISP works alongside OnStar’s Automatic Crash Response technology.
When a crash occurs, ISP analyzes signals such as impact force, change in velocity, and occupant location to predict whether someone in the vehicle faces a severe injury that meets the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) threshold for high-level trauma care.
OnStar’s Emergency-Certified Advisors then combine that prediction with live information from occupants, giving first responders a real-time triage snapshot: who requires immediate attention, what resources to send, and where to transport patients.
Smarter Triage, Faster Care
OnStar's Injury Severity Prediction (ISP) shortens the gap between crash and care.
With ISP, first responders can:
- Decide how many ambulances to send
- Determine which trauma centers to route the most critically injured—by ground or air
- Avoid over-deploying scarce resources to minor crashes
ISP shortens the gap between crash and care by making the invisible visible, surfacing critical information that can’t be detected from a phone call alone.
Two crashes may look identical on the surface. But with sensor data, ISP can reveal hidden risks, like a crash angle that signals internal trauma. That insight can trigger a faster, more robust medical response, even when an occupant can’t speak for themselves.
The impact is measurable. According to Dr. Stewart C. Wang, Executive Director of the International Center for Automotive Medicine at the University of Michigan:
“For critically injured patients, the mortality rate can be decreased by 25 percent if they are transported to high-level trauma centers versus a non-trauma center. ISP helps connect the right patients with the right treatment. It allows first responders to apply their resources in the most effective and efficient manner, while validating minor crashes that may not require a full EMS response.”
OnStar’s Edge
ISP underscores the unique power of combining technology with human expertise. OnStar’s Advisors bring empathy and experience, while advanced analytics deliver precision and speed. It’s timeless innovation built on nearly 30 years of trusted service, deep partnerships with first responders, and GM’s unmatched scale of connected vehicles.
OnStar advisor Jessica Menzie shared, “When I get a call with HIGH ISP, it helps me form a clearer picture of what might be happening on scene with our member. It’s helpful to share that information with police so they’re aware of the potential for severe injuries while our partner is still gathering initial details. When I see HIGH ISP, I always prioritize giving that to the call center first so emergency services can be dispatched as quickly as possible.”
As emergency challenges grow, OnStar continues to push the boundaries of how technology and human intelligence work together, helping save lives when every second matters.
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