GM patent describes system that would collect driver insurance, vehicle information post-collision

According to several national media outlets, a newly published General Motors patent describes an in-vehicle system that would reportedly collect and exchange driver and vehicle information data post-collision between the involved vehicles.

A Justia Patents search reveals that the patent is for a system that “includes a collision detection verification module in electrical communication with a plurality of sensors and a vehicle database.”

“The collision detection module detects whether a collision event has occurred between the first vehicle and the second vehicle based on the sensed vehicle data acquired, broadcasts a first collision message when the collision event has occurred, and exchanges, with the second vehicle, a first collision report for a second collision report based on the first collision message,” Justia states. “The first collision report includes a first driver insurance information associated with the first vehicle and the second collision report includes a second driver insurance information associated with the second vehicle.”

It goes on to state that vehicular safety technologies advancements in recent years “have increasingly focused on improving the ability of vehicles to prevent and mitigate collisions.”

“One significant area of development relates to Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) communication systems, which allows vehicles to exchange information in real time,” the patent description states, according to Justia. “These systems are designed to enhance situational awareness, enabling vehicles to react to potential hazards before they become imminent threats. A primary use case for V2V communication is the transmission of vehicle data between vehicles after a collision event.”

The patent reportedly seeks to prevent safety issues caused by drivers collecting insurance and other information at a collision scene including:

• • Time consuming and potentially hazardously getting out of vehicles on the side of the road.
  • Traffic backups associated with minor vehicle collisions.

Justia notes that the patent includes variations of how the feature could work, such as:

• • Storing one driver’s insurance record, driver license, and vehicle registration
  • Real-time vehicle data from a “plurality of sensors” to detect a collision with an identifiable object including vehicle and image data of a surrounding environment of the first vehicle.

The collision detection module would also include a processing unit to put together and exchange a collision report.

“A first collision message is broadcasted when the collision event has occurred,” according to the patent information listed by Justia. “A first collision report is exchanged from the first vehicle with a second collision report from the second vehicle based on the collision event. The first collision report includes a first driver insurance information associated with the first vehicle and the second collision report includes a second driver insurance information associated with the second vehicle.”

It adds that when a collision occurs, collected image data is processed and analyzed to determine whether the nearest object is a classified vehicle. Once that is completed, a predetermined range around the surrounding area of the first vehicle is scanned to detect a second collision message broadcasted from a nearby vehicle.

“A verification process is performed on the second collision message to determine whether an identity of the nearby vehicle associated with the second collision message is a same identity as the classified vehicle,” the Justia patent information states.

“The first collision report is encrypted with a public key, when the nearby vehicle shares the same identity as that of the classified vehicle of the image data and is referred to after the verification process as a verified vehicle. An encrypted first collision report for the first vehicle is exchanged for a second encrypted collision report associated with the verified vehicle. The verified vehicle is the second vehicle. A human machine interface associated with the first vehicle may display a second decrypted driver insurance record based on the second encrypted driver insurance record and a decryption process.”

Another similar version of the system would also use a camera, lidar sensor, radar sensor, impact sensor, an accelerometer, a brake pedal, and an ultrasound sensor, or a combination thereof, along with the vehicle collision detection system of claim one, or the first vehicle.

Several other possible iterations of how the system can interpret a collision using sensors and/or a camera are also described.

The Justia Patent search states that GM Global Technology Operations filed the application on Nov. 7, 2024, and a patent was published on June 16, 2026. The inventors are listed as Mohammad Naserian, Daniel Xie, Patrick Giancarlo Gabriel DiGioacchino, and Utkarsh Saini.

In May, GM announced that vehicle owners could begin launching the Collision Assistance app on their own for minor incidents that don’t activate OnStar.

Brian Wakefield, GM director of Global Digital Service Solutions, told Repairer Driven News at the time that consumers can now use the app via GM vehicle mobile apps.

The app, which launched in late 2024, provides consumers with a search tool for certified GM shops. This includes certified dealer, independent, and MSO shops.

Consumers can also use the app to collect key details at the scene by using the app’s camera and following prompts.

Images

Featured image: GM’s Collision Assistance app in use (Credit: GM)