HAAS Alert announced today that Škoda has become the first vehicle manufacturer to introduce Safety Cloud-powered digital alerts in Europe. This milestone deployment of HAAS Alert’s cloud-based V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) digital alerting platform provides real-time warnings to Škoda drivers when ambulances are approaching, helping emergency services reach their destinations faster while enhancing overall road safety.
Emergency Vehicle Alerts have been added to Škoda’s Traffication in-vehicle safety app, which is available on all new Škoda vehicles with a 1-year free trial. To activate it, drivers need to select the Traffication app via the in-car Shop.The feature is available on compatible MY2019 and newer vehicles with active Škoda Connect services. The alerts run in the background without requiring driver intervention while providing immediate visual and audio notifications on the central infotainment display.
The Emergency Vehicle Alerts integrated into Škoda’s proven safety technology within Traffication’s comprehensive suite of safety features, which already includes wrong-way driver warnings, stationary vehicle alerts, weather and road condition warnings, and accident notifications.
“The speed of our integration with Safety Cloud demonstrates the power of modern connected vehicle platforms,” said Michal Vondra, Product Manager responsible for Traffication at Škoda. “In less than one year, we were able to seamlessly integrate HAAS Alert’s comprehensive V2X alerting capabilities into our existing Traffication app. This rapid deployment underscores our dedication to quickly delivering innovative safety technologies to our Škoda customers.”
Emergency Vehicle Alerts can be expanded to Škoda vehicles in any European country wherever emergency vehicles are connected to Safety Cloud. Today the digital alerting platform already boasts significant coverage in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, with more countries and regions becoming available later this year.
In the Netherlands, nearly all ambulances are integrated. In the United Kingdom, HAAS Alert has connected more than 600 ambulances including those operated by the South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SECAmb), which serves a vast area of 3,600 square miles across the south-east of England. This includes Brighton & Hove, East Sussex, West Sussex, Kent, Surrey, and North East Hampshire.
“We’re excited to partner with Škoda as our first European automotive manufacturer to leverage Safety Cloud’s comprehensive V2X digital alerting capabilities,” said Jeremy Agulnek, Chief Product Officer and SVP Connected Vehicle of HAAS Alert. “This collaboration demonstrates the global scalability of our platform and demonstrates that cloud-based V2X solutions are the preferred choice for automakers across Europe.”
Škoda’s Traffication will automatically include the Emergency Vehicle Alert feature, requiring no additional setup from drivers. For vehicles that don’t currently have Traffication installed, the application can be downloaded easily via the vehicle’s Shop interface.
(Pic: HAAS Alert)
