To provide an emergency detection device that can receive a distress signal from an optional position regardless of the geography and topography of a collision site.

Aportable emergency detector device 10 includes a global positioning system(GPS) receiver 12 for generating position data, and a wireless telephone transceiver 18 for transmitting position data as digital data to a called station through a wireless telephone network (cellular, PCS or satellite) 20 during bidirectional voice conversation. The emergency detector device 10 can be realized as a conventional wireless telephone 18 with an interface 14 that receives position data from an external GPS receiver and vehicle state data from an external vehicle control system. The data received from the interface 14 is stored in an internal storage device 38a and transmitted to the called station in response to an emergency event trigger.