LONDON , England ( CNN ) -- You 're overseas . It 's late . You 're driving alone when disaster strikes . You 've crashed your car and you need help . Who do you call ? In an emergency , it 's easier to remember just one number . You might not know the number for the local emergency services , or that it 's 999 in Britain ; 15 , 17 and 18 in France ; or 10111 and 10177 in South Africa . But do you know that there is one internationally-recognized number that will connect you to the emergency services across Europe and even further beyond ? The 112 emergency number was first introduced in 1991 so that European citizens could dial just one number , rather than have to memorize a different one for each country . The number is now operational in all 27 EU member states . It should also redirect to emergency services on GSM cell phones in countries including the United States ( see box below ) . But 18 years after 112 's introduction , it is still largely unheard of . A 2009 Eurobarometer survey revealed that only 24 percent of Europeans are aware of the number . In Ireland , nine percent know about it , eight percent in the UK and only three percent in Italy . The lack of awareness is partly the fault of older EU member states including the UK , France and Italy that have been reluctant to advertise the number , said Gary Machado from the European Emergency Number Association ( EENA ) that was set up to promote 112 . Technical issues and language barriers also have n't helped . EENA told CNN the number still does not have 100 percent coverage across Europe . And 29 percent of people in the Eurobarometer survey said they had encountered language problems when making an emergency call in another EU country . `` Officially , 19 member states are able to answer in English , '' said Machago . `` But that 's wrong . '' EENA recently sent journalists to make calls from outside the European Commission in Brussels . Even here , from the center of Europe , staff could not immediately respond in English , let alone other European languages such as Spanish or Finnish , he said . But with new member states from central and eastern Europe adopting -- and actively supporting -- 112 , EENA believes there is now is an opportunity to increase awareness and encourage more countries to upgrade the quality of their services . Watch CNN Business Traveller for more safety tips » . Bilingual interpreters . Given the difficulties accessing emergency services when abroad , travelers are increasingly turning to commercial services to get them out of tricky situations . Services such as `` Just text HELP '' from CallUma in the UK and Language Line Services from the United States provide 24-hour access to interpreters who speak over 170 languages and can help with anything from dealing with a medical emergency to finding a restaurant . CallUma founder Tony Partridge came up with the idea for the service after a harrowing experience whilst on holiday in Spain . `` It was 2am , my two-year-old was screaming and we needed an ambulance . But I did n't have a clue who to call , '' he told CNN . Over 150 people are signing up for the service every day , he said . A common request is for help with lost passports . `` We can get people to the nearest embassy and can arrange for transportation if need it , '' said Partridge . New tools . Tech-savvy travelers are also taking matters into their own hands and using social media tools such as blogs , location-based technologies , and instant messaging services to respond to emergencies . Research published in New Scientist magazine last year by Leysia Palen , assistant professor of computer science at the University of Colorado , revealed that social networking sites , including Twitter , were more effective than government emergency services when it came to distributing information during emergencies such as the Virginia Tech shooting of April 2007 . Social networking tools are particularly useful during disasters when cell networks go down but SMS services remain in action . With this in mind , the Red Cross has worked with Twitter for its `` Safe and Well '' site so people can register their whereabouts during a disaster , as well as check on people they know . People are also using social networking and location-based technologies to help co-ordinate rescue efforts . Last month , friends of two British skiers who went missing in Verbier in the Swiss Alps used Twitter to find their friends ' cell phone numbers . They then helped mountain rescue teams locate one missing skier by using GPS and Google Maps from his cell phone . Google 's Latitude service , launched in February , constantly updates users ' location , enabling contacts to see their whereabouts on a map as well as their activity via status updates . Privacy issues aside , the service could prove invaluable for people traveling alone in unfamiliar areas or dangerous situations . Smart phone applications such as Emergency Aid or In Case of Emergency ( ICE ) for the iPhone provide one-touch emergency contacts and first aid information in the event of an incident . Several phone makers , including Samsung and Asus , also offer SOS functions that , with the push of a button , send text messages to pre-set numbers and warn that the sender is in danger . With an ever-growing array of automatic services for cell phones , we may never need to remember an emergency number again -- whether that 's 112 or not .
Emergency number 112 was introduced in 1991 , works in all EU member states . A recent survey found only 24 percent of Europeans are aware that it exists . Private companies provide 24-hour access to interpreters who can provide help . Tech-savvy travelers are using blogs , location and instant messaging tools .