Coming to a road near you, the car that calls for help after a crash, alerts the police if it's stolen and puts an end to high-speed car chases.

A new system from car parts and logistics giant Unipart will automatically alert police if a car is involved in a serious accident or is stolen.

Called Neo-Trac, the sophisticated black box pinpoints the exact position of the vehicle using satellite tracking, linked with computerised mapping.

So even if a motorist ends up upside-down, unconscious in a ditch, the system takes over - alerting the police.

And if a Neo-Trac car is stolen, police can track it safely at a distance without the thief knowing and, when the car stops, remotely disable the engine.

Accident monitoring is an additional feature of Neo-Trac, offering a brand new service where the standards have yet to be defined.

Neo-Trac's advanced technology includes a motion sensor that detects abrupt changes in speed or direction of the vehicle and is activated within micro-seconds if the car runs into something, is shunted from behind or turns over. If activated, trained staff at the Neo-Trac Secure Operating Centre will alert the police station closest to the car for a swift response.

If the driver is unconscious or unable to make a call for help, then Neo-Trac will have ensured that help is already on its way, potentially helping to save the lives of the vehicle occupants," says Skillen.

ITo pinpoint a car's precise location, Neo-Trac employs one of the most powerful GPS receivers available, which is used in combination with the latest mobile communications and radio frequency identification technologies.

It can even sense when signal strengths are poor and automatically boosts its performance making a vehicle easier to locate in remote areas as well as underground car parks or garages.

These latest technologies enable a vehicle to be tracked night and day if necessary right around the globe and certainly throughout Europe. The Neo-Trac security and safety monitoring solution is available in a range of packages from £615 upwards plus a £185 annual fee and comes with a three-year warranty. This works out at £1.07 a day over the first three years. And for a small fee the service, technology and three year warranty can be transferred with the car to a new owner.