Each year 1.3 million people die in road traffic crashes and 50 million get injured or become disabled. Although the EU’s eCall emergency alert system will be mandatory for all new cars from 2018, the makers of the Collision Call app say their system provides a safe and cheap alternative and also works in second hand cars.

Dutch inventor Ramon Veneman of Collision Call said: "I believe it can save many lives. Surveys show 60% of all traffic victims die at high-speed collisions. That is what this app is programmed for."

Designed for use when travelling by any kind of vehicle or even by train, the app works by measuring G-forces that occur during a collision. If those forces exceed a certain level, the app automatically calls the alarm number in the country the driver is in and sends e-mails to programmed contacts. The system has also been set up not to activate when someone drops their phone, and only works after driving above 30 kilometres an hour for ten seconds.

Future plans include enabling the app to send emails to emergency services with the exact location of the accident and the amount of G-force, allowing ambulance personnel to take this into account

Collision Call is available for Google Play and will imminently be in the Apple Store. The app works in 144 countries worldwide and is available in nine languages.