Ford has developed technology designed to alert road users when an emergency services vehicle is approaching.
The system sends a signal from the ambulance, fire engine or police car to nearby drivers so they know where it is coming from and how far away it is.
It is currently being trialled as part of the government-backed £20 million Autodrive event running in Coventry and Milton Keynes until 2018.
Ford claims its technology could one day advise drivers on the best course of action to safely get out of the way of oncoming vehicles.
Citing government figures, the firm said 475 road accidents involved emergency services vehicles in 2015.
“Time is precious for emergency services and this technology could help to shave valuable seconds off their journeys by enabling drivers to avoid being an obstruction,” said Christian Ress, supervisor for automated driving Europe at Ford Research and Advanced Engineering.
Peter Allington, part of the road casualty reduction team at West Midlands Fire Service added: “West Midlands Fire Service has a pledge to attend serious incidents within five minutes. Connected technologies like these that help to improve communications between vehicles could help us get to people even more quickly when they really need us.”
Ford is also developing software that can alert drivers to accidents when they are approaching a crossroads. Cars broadcast locations to one another, with all vehicles calculating the risk of a crash. If the vehicles believe there is a high chance of an accident, a warning alert will come on telling both drivers to slow down and prepare to stop.
