Around the globe, millions of people die every year after suffering an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The numbers involved are staggering. But together, we can save lives – by making sure the right equipment is nearby when needed.

Defibrillation is recognised as one of the key factors that influences survival. If victims are defibrillated within 3-5 minutes of suffering a cardiac arrest, then the survival rate jumps from less than 10% up to as much as 70%!

Modern defibrillators are easy-to-use; just open the box and follow the verbal instructions. These days, many countries have defibrillators in public spaces. However, around 80% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur at home, so for the majority of victims these devices in public spaces are just too far away. We need additional places for this lifesaving equipment to go – places that are closer to home...

My proposal is that portable defibrillators are included as standard within all new cars.

Each year, around 70 million new cars are sold worldwide. If each one carried a defibrillator, suddenly access to these lifesaving devices would radically improve. Car owners, their loved-ones, their neighbours and their local communities would all benefit. Defibrillators would be on our streets, in driveways, in car parks – and they could save millions of lives around the globe. 

Cardiovascular disease is on the rise. As things stand, more and more people will experience out-of-hospital cardiac arrests without the hope of being saved by the necessary equipment. We can change this, if we succeed in persuading car manufacturers to take action. Millions of people are already at risk. That is why I’m urging car manufacturers to take action NOW, so that defibrillators can be on our roads and outside people’s homes as soon as possible.

With pioneering car manufacturers taking the lead, our cars of the future could serve as ‘mini ambulances’ – and save countless lives.

Your support of this petition means that when I contact car manufacturers and urge them to take action, they will know just how important this issue is to all of us.

Sign the petition and join me in asking manufacturers to add lifesaving defibrillators to their new cars.