ZAGREB, 15 July (Hina) - The Croatian Automobile Club (HAK) has introduced the option to request roadside assistance via SMS to the number 1987, making the service more accessible to people with hearing impairments.

Users can send a text specifying their location, vehicle registration and the nature of the problem, and the HAK will provide assistance.

Until now, citizens and HAK members who could not use voice communication had to use a separate mobile number to request help via SMS. "As of today... the number 1987 becomes the single point of contact for all users, regardless of whether they are making a voice call or sending a text," the HAK said on Monday.

They added that this change stems from adapting emergency service communication systems to the new European regulatory framework for contacting emergency numbers.

"The new regulations place particular emphasis on ensuring accessibility measures in communication with people with disabilities," the HAK noted.

This past spring, the HAK became the first emergency number operator in Croatia, and among the first in Europe, to be fully technically prepared to implement the new Real-Time Text service on its emergency number 1987.

Every character typed by the user is instantly visible to the operator, enabling even faster and more accurate communication in emergency situations.

The HAK reminds users that all calls or texts sent to special emergency numbers include the automatic transmission of the mobile device’s location to the relevant emergency service.