Do you remember where you are? (1 Viewer)

[Stonemags76]

As I discovered this year the French emergency services use, and encourage the use, of What Three Words.

Did you give the words in English, or French? Did you use the secondary language ability? Thanks

 

[Dorset Diver]

Anywhere on the planet!

As long as you have a phone signal I assume.

 

[Two on Tour]

As long as you have a phone signal I assume.

Our Nextbase dashcam has W3W built-in, so we have the backup of GPS positioning if we are in the van and no phone signal.

 

[Tea Bag]

I've usually no idea where I am ? I just follow the sat nav & have to get an actual map out to work out where I am.

Hi.
Often got a phone call in the lorry " Where are you stopping tonight ? " NOT joking,if on an M-way sometimes had no idea and would reply that i was on the M-whatever and would sing out when i got to the next sign....... There is a problem ?.....
It was mostly about another urgent load that wanted delivering...... Yesterday......." Be carefull out there..... it is/was.. Hell on the Hill .... and M-way..
Tea Bag.

 

[Coolcats]

I did highlight in post the first time I used w3w under pressure from my wife it actually took me to the wrong field my sat nav had the correct location.

As with all technology don't have blind faith in it have a back up and be aware of where you are.

"I realised that there are a very significant number of words easily confused. The more words that can be confused, the higher the chance that a mistake is made and the wrong location given," researcher Andrew Tierney, who works for Pen Test Partners, told the BBC.
"When I dug deeper, I discovered that large numbers of plurals and homophones are actually very close to each other. In time-critical situations such as a life-threatening accident, emergency services personnel going to the wrong location - say one to three kilometres away from the actual location - could be the difference between life and death."
So, for example, circle.goal.leader and circle.goal.leaders are less than 2km apart along the River Thames.
And just over 50km apart in Sheffield and Leeds are stream.rivers.abode and steam.rivers.abode.

The research found many examples of plurals and homophones in close proximity to each other


The report details how a couple, waiting with an injured walker, provided a W3W grid reference to emergency services, but the rescue team were initially sent "many miles" away from where they were waiting.
"For some unknown reason the W3W reference positioned the casualty close to the A66 near Braithwaite," reads the report.
"Fortunately PhoneFind technology was used and a grid reference confirmed the location as on a path between Green Gable and Base Brown - many miles from the A66", it said.


Mark Lewis, the head of ICT at Mountain Rescue England and Wales (MREW), said that the use of the W3W app had been "testing" for rescue teams. He gave the BBC a database from the last 12 months which listed 45 locations across England and Wales that rescuers received from lost or injured walkers and climbers, which turned out to be incorrect.

Examples included:

• jump.legend.warblers which was in Vietnam
• duties.factory.person was located in China
• dignitary.fake.view turned out to be in India
• refuse.housework.housebound was in Australia
• middle.plugged.nourished was in the US
• demand.heave.surprise was actually in Canada
• flesh.unzip.whirlwind was in Russia

"It's a tool, and a tool is better than no tool, but people are being sent to the wrong location," he told the BBC.
"We are finding there are a lot of spelling issues, which might be from when locations are given to the emergency services. Local accents have also been a problem."

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[Dorset Diver]

Did you give the words in English, or French? Did you use the secondary language ability? Thanks

Initially I used both, first my poor French then English but the operator immediately went to perfect English and she had us located in just a few seconds.

 

[Two on Tour]

I did highlight in post the first time I used w3w under pressure from my wife it actually took me to the wrong field my sat nav had the correct location.

As with all technology don't have blind faith in it have a back up and be aware of where you are.

"I realised that there are a very significant number of words easily confused. The more words that can be confused, the higher the chance that a mistake is made and the wrong location given," researcher Andrew Tierney, who works for Pen Test Partners, told the BBC.
"When I dug deeper, I discovered that large numbers of plurals and homophones are actually very close to each other. In time-critical situations such as a life-threatening accident, emergency services personnel going to the wrong location - say one to three kilometres away from the actual location - could be the difference between life and death."
So, for example, circle.goal.leader and circle.goal.leaders are less than 2km apart along the River Thames.
And just over 50km apart in Sheffield and Leeds are stream.rivers.abode and steam.rivers.abode.


The report details how a couple, waiting with an injured walker, provided a W3W grid reference to emergency services, but the rescue team were initially sent "many miles" away from where they were waiting.
"For some unknown reason the W3W reference positioned the casualty close to the A66 near Braithwaite," reads the report.
"Fortunately PhoneFind technology was used and a grid reference confirmed the location as on a path between Green Gable and Base Brown - many miles from the A66", it said.


Mark Lewis, the head of ICT at Mountain Rescue England and Wales (MREW), said that the use of the W3W app had been "testing" for rescue teams. He gave the BBC a database from the last 12 months which listed 45 locations across England and Wales that rescuers received from lost or injured walkers and climbers, which turned out to be incorrect.

Examples included:

• jump.legend.warblers which was in Vietnam
• duties.factory.person was located in China
• dignitary.fake.view turned out to be in India
• refuse.housework.housebound was in Australia
• middle.plugged.nourished was in the US
• demand.heave.surprise was actually in Canada
• flesh.unzip.whirlwind was in Russia

"It's a tool, and a tool is better than no tool, but people are being sent to the wrong location," he told the BBC.
"We are finding there are a lot of spelling issues, which might be from when locations are given to the emergency services. Local accents have also been a problem."

I read that as not the fault of W3W's location points, but that the incorrect 3 words had been given to the rescue services, so it's as usual in these cases down to human error, not the technology.

 

[Coolcats]

I read that as not the fault of W3W's location points, but that the incorrect 3 words had been given to the rescue services, so it's as usual in these cases down to human error, not the technology.

Therefore automated emergency co-ordinates would ensure accuracy and when you see the number of plurals and homophones, it really isn't the most accurate way to direct services or rely on 'knowing' where you are and yes its the technologies fault for applying such similar names so close together.

 

[Two on Tour]

Therefore automated emergency co-ordinates would ensure accuracy and when you see the number of plurals and homophones, it really isn't the most accurate way to direct services or rely on 'knowing' where you are and yes its the technologies fault for applying such similar names so close together.

Sorry don't agree with you, the technology works just fine and is not failing, it's the human element that introduces the failers to the co-ordinates which you yourself agree with by stating "automated emergency co-ordinates would ensure accuracy".

 

[Carpmart]

Quick screenshot of the W3W screen and forward to the operator… done!

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[Ingwe]

Has anyone else used WD40 to get rid of mice?

It doesn’t work, but it stops the squeaking.

 

[cyberyacht]

You're better off with Lat/Long it appears

 

[rod_vw]

We've got a tracker in our camper which either of us can call and it will text the caller back with a map reference of its location and a link to Google Maps showing that location.

 

[Coolcats]

Sorry don't agree with you, the technology works just fine and is not failing, it's the human element that introduces the failers to the co-ordinates which you yourself agree with by stating "automated emergency co-ordinates would ensure accuracy".

Your blaming the human, which is fine this shows the technology is not flawless, what I said was 'As with all technology do not have blind faith in it' I have also said that when under stress mistakes will be made, I also said that 'Therefore automated emergency co-ordinates would ensure accuracy'

AML in the UK

This type of service is what will help as will a PLB if you are at sea

If you are on a paddle board, inflatable, Kayak, canoe, or boat W3W is a chocolate tea pot no sooner have you given the three words (assuming your not choking on water) then the current will be taking you away from that point

 

[Dorset Diver]

A good while ago I had cause to call 112 in the UK. I started to say where I was - I did actually know - when the call handler said "I have you" and just confirmed it with me. I later found out that in the UK if you use 112 rather than 999 it allows the location of the mobile phone to be seen by the call handler. I'm not sure how accurate the location is in all cases but in my case it was spot on.

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[L' Hobo]

A good while ago I had cause to call 112 in the UK. I started to say where I was - I did actually know - when the call handler said "I have you" and just confirmed it with me. I later found out that in the UK if you use 112 rather than 999 it allows the location of the mobile phone to be seen by the call handler. I'm not sure how accurate the location is in all cases but in my case it was spot on.

Either the RAC or the AA Breakdown used to advertise this, many years ago.
Not seen it lately though?

 

[Two on Tour]

A good while ago I had cause to call 112 in the UK. I started to say where I was - I did actually know - when the call handler said "I have you" and just confirmed it with me. I later found out that in the UK if you use 112 rather than 999 it allows the location of the mobile phone to be seen by the call handler. I'm not sure how accurate the location is in all cases but in my case it was spot on.

I thought that I would save the 112 number on my mobile as if abroad in an emergency and stressed I may not remember the number, but my phone will not allow me to save emergency numbers, how bloody stupid is that.

 

[Tony50]

Good thinking by the OP… like it!

Avid W3W user and Google maps.. I pin our MoHo when we stop.

The topic reminds me of one particular evening in some city somewhere… got off a long flight, dropped bag in room and left hotel with key card. Went out for the usual ‘boring as crap’ business dinner, then jumped in a cab (jet lagged and knackered as usual) without my phone (no idea where it went!!). Then couldn’t remember the hotel name, keycard was no logo white job, phone had my itinerary… yes you guessed it, had to drive to several hotels before we found the right one…

Then had all the fun with the night porter trying to get him to tell me my room number!

Phone turned up the next morning, on charge in the room!

Wished we had w3w what ever that is ( not got it) or a Sat nav that could tell me that a hotel in eastern Holland we were trying to find as my son was staying there, the problem was the hotel had changed it's name, and my son forgot to tell us, now a device that could tell me that would be useful especially at 11pm.

 

[Minxy]

Info ref 112:

999 and 112: the UK's national emergency numbers

999 and 112 is the national emergency response service in the UK. 112 is the pan-European equivalent to 999 and can be used in the UK.

www.gov.uk

 

[rod_vw]

If I breakdown with my new MAN TGE all I have to do is press a button in the cab roof and it calls MAN Mobile24 emergency call centre which is automatically informed of my location and vehicle status. No smart phone needed, it's all supplied with the vehicle.

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[philann]

If I breakdown with my new MAN TGE all I have to do is press a button in the cab roof and it calls MAN Mobile24 emergency call centre which is automatically informed of my location and vehicle status. No smart phone needed, it's all supplied with the vehicle.

My new Skoda Fabia has a similar button in the roof.

 

[busbuddy]

Reminds me of a weekend, back in the 80s....we were in blackpool and out for the evening (the evening started at noon )
At something o'clock in the morning we decided to go back to the hotel...taxi pulled up and we got the hotel business card out and showed the driver, he commented there was a minimum £5 charge and we said that's fine.......
He drove 200 yards up the road and pulled over pointing to our hotel
Never forgotten that one

 

[stuartholmes]

As I discovered this year the French emergency services use, and encourage the use, of What Three Words.

 

[stuartholmes]

A good while ago I had cause to call 112 in the UK. I started to say where I was - I did actually know - when the call handler said "I have you" and just confirmed it with me. I later found out that in the UK if you use 112 rather than 999 it allows the location of the mobile phone to be seen by the call handler. I'm not sure how accurate the location is in all cases but in my case it was spot on.

I'd heard that some time ago so when I was sitting in my car having a heart attack I used 112 instead of 999 but the ambulance despatcher still asked me to download w3w & tell her the location it gave.
If you read my earlier comment you may remember I was able to say ''no probs, I have it already & the w3w location is...''
She got me to spell the words to be sure, even though they didn't seem at all liable to homophonia but I took that as the belt & braces method. No problem.

I didn't ask why they wanted the w3w address in preference to anything else, I just knew they must have a good reason - they are after all the people who need to find someone far more often than I do. And I'm glad they did

 

[Lumpy]

If I breakdown with my new MAN TGE all I have to do is press a button in the cab roof and it calls MAN Mobile24 emergency call centre which is automatically informed of my location and vehicle status. No smart phone needed, it's all supplied with the vehicle.

Our Nissan does this too, and if the airbags are deployed it does it automatically, lets hope none of us ever need to use this part of the system.

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