Thats basically what hum does. The onstar device that has been in GM vehicles for the last decade or so is simply another device connected to the data bus and monitors for the airbag deploy message.

hum does the same, just plugs into the ODBII port which is a direct connect to the data bus as well and listens for the messages.

Onstar is bidirectional and can send messages on the bus such as unlock the doors or start the engine where I believe hum is read only only looks for accident related messages.

Correct me if I'm wrong, folks ...

I thought OnStar was (and is?) a subscription service. You pay a monthly/annual fee, but the hardware is integrated into the car. It is designed to survive a crash, and do its thing.

I get the impression that other "phone home" services under discussion here are "if you own the car, you have the service..."

Except, the kicker is that this service must be "linked to Bluetooth" -- the services rely on the phone that you already own.

And from what I've seen, that phone is loose in the car for a majority of users, and would be nothing more than a projectile/shrapnel in a serious crash.

So, is the "super clever feature" nullified by the basic natural tendencies of the naked ape?

It wouldn't be that great of a challenge to have an aftermarket accelerometer and ROM mounted to the chassis, and connected via bluetooth to a phone. If the accelerometer detects a crash (so many m/s^2 for so many ms) it instructs the phone to place a preprogrammed call.

If the phone is clipped into a mount, it probably won't survive the crash, slamming around the cabin. But, if it's in a pocket or purse, it probably will.

Many smartphones have accelerometers inside. I’m sure some app developer could make an app that would detect when you’re driving and program it to detect that sudden deceleration/stop/crash and dial 9-1-1. My phone rides shotgun in airplane mode. It wouldn’t be much use.

My phone is not much better; data services are turned off almost all the time, unless I have a specific task that I require of them.

The current trend of turning a phone into the equivalent of a desperately helpless infant that requires your constant attention is a sucker's game, selling advertising for soothers I do not need.

Though if my accelerometer detected dangerous G's, and sent a text to someone who could respond, I would not object. In theory, that could work. In practice, the alert would be preceded by ads for trusses, wheelchairs, autobody work, and ambulance chasing lawyers.

My dashcam app (Hovans Autoguard?) will do that. If it senses an impact, it will archive the video clip. But, there's the previously mentioned problem of survivability after an accident.

What happens when you drop your phone while driving