Wireless technology will probably be used to prevent car collisions and provide health monitoring within the next 10 to 20 years, according to research.

Cars are likely to built with sensors that automatically summon emergency services after a crash, or prevent collisions by alerting vehicles of sudden braking, while handheld scanners could check food barcodes for allergy information, Ofcom's Tomorrow's Wireless World report said.

The study looked at how wireless technology is likely to be adapted over the next 10 to 20 years. The report said wireless communication was now "integral to our lives", with mobile subscriptions outnumbering the total UK population by 10 million.