Mr Cholmondeley-Warner wrote:We had this recently on another forum, and, sadly, the myth was being perpetuated by people delivering a speed awareness course, so came with some ring of pseudo-authority.
It's nonsense, I'm afraid. 112 is in fact re-directed to the same Operator Assistance Centres (OACs) as 999, and the Enhanced Information Service for Emergency Calls (EISEC) or its Cable and Wireless equivalent (ALSEC) works exactly the same. For mobile phones in this country, GPS from the phone is never used for positioning, just the cell(s) the phone is registered with. The data is provided by the mobile phone company to the EISEC or ALSEC service, from where the emergency service you call (providing they have a suitable interface - Police and Ambulance almost all do, Fire much less so), retrieve the data and their Call taking system then plots it on a map. The information is delivered as an ellipse (sometimes this is a circle) of varying size, but out in rural areas sometimes 5 miles across, with a confidence factor in percent, as to how likely the phone is to be actually within the plotted area.
martine wrote:Excellent answer Nick and definitely qualifies to be on shortlist for this month 'driving geek' awards.
mawallace wrote:Would you be able to assist with a debate please?
I have heard that in a road side accident, it is better to dial 112 from a smart phone, as the smart phone broadcasts it's location found via GPS to the call centre automatically, though with 999 on a mobile it does not and is routed to any 999 call centre.
Is there any truth in this
Standard Dave wrote: Your sat nav isn't any better it just uses the signal and puts the represetation of your car on the closest road, which might explain some of it's haywire moments when you appear to travel several miles in a minute or it sets off down another road at a junction or when roads cross at a bridge or tunnel.
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