SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, March 6, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- AI-powered contact centre scale-up NeonNow has launched a sentiment-aware AI-enabled roadside assistance tech aimed at improving emergency response times and reducing fatalities on Australian roads.
“NeonNow” blends sentiment-aware AI with real-time human expertise to help roadside and emergency call centres detect distress faster, triage urgent calls, and reach drivers more quickly during breakdowns, crises, and late-night emergencies.
Use of the technology by NeonNow in the US has proven to reduce dispatch times by 25 to 40 percent, cut handle times by 4 to 7 minutes, and decrease average handle time by 15 percent.
GPS-based location services have also saved 15 to 30 minutes in cases where customers were unsure of their location, while digital dispatch has reduced dispatch times by 2 to 3 minutes.
Research suggests that up to 14 per cent of crash deaths are associated with emergency response times that stretch beyond seven to ten minutes.
If applied to Australia’s road toll numbers, this equates to roughly 182 of the 1,300 people killed on Australian roads last year and 34 of the 242 who died in November and December alone.
If this number was reduced by 40 percent - as NeonNow technology has proven it can - we could save 73 lives across the year.
How it works
The life-saving technology has sentiment detection engineered into every layer of its design so it can identify signs of stress or fear in a caller’s voice that communicates a level of urgency that may not be indicated in the caller’s actual words.
When the system detects elevated risk, it alerts human agents instantly and provides real-time summaries, stress indicators, and recommended next steps so urgent calls can be escalated within seconds.
Routine enquiries such as tow‑truck ETAs and claim updates are also handled automatically by virtual agents, freeing frontline staff to focus on the people in the vulnerable situations, not paperwork.
Bushfires, heatwaves, hailstorms
NeonNow already supports 4,800 government agents across some of Australia’s most time-sensitive service environments, such as during bushfires, hailstorms, heatwaves, or seasonal traffic surges.
This support, including a state-wide virtual contact centre roll-out with the NSW Government Technology Platforms (GTP) unit, has enabled agencies to rapidly launch emergency hotlines and scale from 2,000 to 25,000 calls in a single weekend during crises.
With people travelling long distances, NeonNow provides new confidence, whether it’s a flat tyre on the Hume Highway, heat stress outside Broken Hill, or a nervous parent calling after dark, according to NeonNow.
Michael Powrie, founder & CEO of NeonNow, said: “Holidays are the most demanding times for roadside and emergency teams. When someone is stranded on a hot highway or stuck in rising floodwaters, they don’t have time to repeat their story. Our AI helps agents quickly understand what is happening, how urgent it is and where the caller is, so we can get the right help moving faster.
“Every call tells a story, and sometimes it’s what a person can’t say that matters most. By listening for stress, confusion and silence, NeonNow gives agents an extra layer of situational awareness while keeping empathy at the centre of every interaction.
“This technology isn’t about replacing people; it’s about protecting them. We combine AI and human judgement so drivers feel supported on the road, and our clients get safer, more resilient contact centres built on secure, scalable cloud platforms.”
Companies such as 365 Assist Group, a roadside assistance provider dedicated to helping people when their vehicles break down, deal with real-life situations every day that can benefit from these advancements in AI.
Michael Payne, Chief Operating Officer of 365 Assist Group, said: “Last year, 113 people lost their lives on Australian roads during peak travel periods. High traffic volumes and summer conditions make it one of the most hazardous times to be behind the wheel. The single most important thing you can do before any holiday trip is make sure your car is ready for the drive – get it serviced, check your tyres (including if you have a spare), oil, battery, and don’t ignore warning lights.
But what many people don't realise is that even after an accident or breakdown happens, there are also steps to take to minimise the impact it has on people and their plans. If the unfortunate happens, there are three simple things you can do to help us get to you faster: get to a safe spot if you can, call for help straight away, and be ready to tell us where you are, what’s happened in your own words and whether anyone is hurt. Even rough details – the last town you passed, the highway you’re on, a nearby exit, a rest stop or a distinctive landmark – can shave precious minutes off our response. Our Assistance Experts will make everything easy from there on.
We’re excited to see smart technologies like this making their way to Australia. Tools like this make it easier for our team to find people faster and prioritise the most urgent cases, especially when someone’s in distress or unsure where they are, but the basics still matter: slow down, don’t drive tired or impaired, and if you’re in trouble, call early and give us as much clear information as you can.”
NeonNow roadside assist will be launched as part of a broader “NEONNOW IQ Suite”, which acts as a real-time intelligence co-pilot for customer service teams in all manner of environments, predicting why a customer is reaching out, recommending the next best action, and refining messages to stay true to an organisation’s brand tone.
The suite brings every customer channel into one seamless flow, across voice, chat, SMS, and app notifications.
This means agents can move effortlessly between them, with AI-powered prompts, summaries and cues that help them respond with accuracy, clarity and empathy when situations become more complex or emotional.
Ann Murphy
Third Hemisphere
cloudwave@thirdhemisphere.agency
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