EU votes in favour of European emergency call system
First published in The Global Road Safety Review 2015 as EU votes in favour of eCall
The European Parliament has voted in favour of eCall regulation which requires all new cars be equipped with eCall technology from April 2018. In the event of a serious accident, eCall automatically dials 112 – Europe’s single emergency number.
It communicates the vehicle’s exact location to emergency services, the time of incident and the direction of travel (most important on motorways), even if the driver is unconscious or unable to make a phone call. An eCall can also be triggered manually by pushing a button in the car, for example by a witness of a serious accident.
eCall will transmit the data that is absolutely necessary in case of accident. Information only leaves the car in the event of a severe accident and is not stored any longer than necessary.
The Commission estimates that, once the system is fully implemented, eCall could save hundreds of lives every year and help injured people quicker.
