Cars are one of the most ubiquitous assets in modern life. Parked on driveways, outside schools, workplaces and shops, they are frequently already at or near the scene of medical emergencies. Indeed, roughly 80% of all OHCAs occur in or near the home. By equipping every new car with a defibrillator, we can turn everyday vehicles into "mini ambulances” and ensure a more mobile and targeted network of defibrillators.

To meet this challenge, the JumpStart Campaign, conceived and founded by philanthropist Jonathan Harris CBE FRICS, has been pushing for urgent legislative action to mandate the inclusion of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in all new cars sold in the UK. By pairing defibrillators with cars, the JumpStart proposal not only ensures their ubiquity but, by integrating their maintenance into the MOT, reduces the chance they are found faulty at the crucial moment. It is a simple, scalable, and powerful intervention that could save thousands of lives each year.

Since 2025, JumpStart has been speaking with ministers and officials from key government departments. including the Department for Transport and Department of Health and Social Care, to highlight the urgent problems facing defibrillator access and the role the JumpStart proposal can play in addressing them.

The campaign has also held discussions with key stakeholders across the medical, motor and parliamentary landscapes to ensure the proposal is ready to address the most pressing medical, technical and political realities facing defibrillator provision, and in March 2026 convened leading voices for a dinner in Parliament, hosted by Amanda Hack MP.

With polling demonstrating not only a strong desire for government action on cardiac arrests but public support for its proposal, the JumpStart campaign is perfectly positioned to lead the conversation on smarter access to defibrillators.