Since June 2020, Argentina has had an assistance service for road accidents that is today a model in the world: Line 149 option 2, an assistance network of the National Road Safety Agency (ANSV) for traffic victims and their families.
The help is free, 24 hours a day, and ranges from psychological and economic to legal, and since its creation its use has quintupled.
According to official figures, of the first 189 calls managed in 2020 to the 890 received in November In 2023, the growth was 470%. And the month of December still remains to be computed, historically one of the times of the year with the highest road accidents.
With record months in case resolution, such as March 2021 (109 assistances made), August 2023 (102) and October 2023 (103), the growth curve in the use of Line 149 option 2 continues to grow.
“The victims and their families were the heart of these four years of management. That is why we created this Assistance Network, which works every day to try to mitigate the consequences of a serious accident. From a psychologist to deal with grief to a prosthesis, from funeral expenses to support in the trial and family transfers, this tool always provided concrete solutions. There is no service like this anywhere in the world, even though it should be common as dictated by the United Nations Decade Plan for road safety,” said Pablo Martínez Carignano, executive director of the ANSV.
The Network is completely free and works throughout the country 24 hours a dayand by the end of December it is estimated that around 1,000 people will have received some type of assistance in 2023 from the ANSV.
Viviam Perrone, co-founder of the Mothers of Pain Civil Association and member of the International Association of Traffic Victims, recalled the beginnings of the service. “When it began to operate, the help number for victims and victims’ families was 0-800. We said that it was not going to work because it was very difficult to remember and this administration changed the number to 149, which not only made things easier, but today it is also our guide for victims, because it is not only for when it is needed,” she said.
And he added: “If a road accident occurs, you generally don’t know where you have to go or who you have to talk to. Then by calling 149 option 2, there are lawyers and psychologists who in such delicate and painful moments can guide the victims and the victims’ families.”
The Network is activated in the post-emergency instance and victims do not have a time limit to communicate. In this sense, in November 50% of the calls were for accidents that occurred during the current month, 33% within the last year and the remaining 17% for cases that took place more than a year ago.
How the service works
People who communicate with Line 149 option 2 are assisted by professionals trained to assist callers seeking to cover the different needs that arise after a road event. Initial attention is by telephone, but if the situation requires it, assistance continues in person, such as, for example, if the victim needs psychological and/or physical rehabilitation treatment, or if medical and/or family transfers are required.
The main services provided by the Network are:
- Psychological assistance: immediate telephone support and in-person psychological treatment.
- Legal assistance: immediate telephone advice and referral for in-person attention.
- Advice on social services: information on obtaining social benefits.
- Coordination for medical assistance and rehabilitation: hospitalization, rehabilitation, approvals for prostheses, etc. for free.
- Financial aid: assistance for the family group when the affected person is the breadwinner of the home.
- Free transfers and accommodations: medical transfer with national coverage including family members and their corresponding accommodation. If necessary, the network also assists families in the transfer of coffins.