Emergency call devices that automatically alert rescue services to car crashes will be a mandatory feature in all new cars.
The European Parliament voted to make the eCall emergency call technology a standard feature in all new cars and light vans by 31 March 2018.
The eCall system is already fitted to some mid-range models. It is designed to alert the emergency services to serious road accidents automatically, enabling a faster and more appropriate response.
The European Parliament has repeatedly stressed that reducing deaths and the severity of injuries on the roads is its priority. It estimates the system could reduce road deaths by 10% a year.
Concerns over the misuse of vehicle owners' data have also been addressed. The draft law’s data protection clause forbids tracking eCall-equipped vehicles before accidents occur. The automatic eCall provides only basic data including vehicle type, location and time of incident, number of passengers and the type of fuel used.
Information gathered cannot be passed to third parties without consent and manufacturers have to ensure that data gathered is permanently deleted.
Rules passed in 2014 stipulate that EU member states must have the infrastructure in place to process eCall requests by October 2017.
Get the latest car news, reviews and galleries from Autocar direct to your inbox every week. Enter your email address below:
Join the debate
Add your comment
Speed up response, then slow
Another good idea from a bureaucrat,
what's wrong with a free phone app ? More tech being loaded onto cars, and inflating prices, we don't need. Still, who would argue against more safety ?
Not everyone has a mobile
Rather than this solution to call for assistance when you crash, how about fitting a mobile phone jammer that is turned on when the car is started. No distraction, no accidents and no need for emergency services? Ban hands-free kits and big TV screens in centre consoles so people look where they are going. And 4 point seatbelts have good results in crash tests I hear, so make them compulsory.
Andrew 61 wrote:so not really
What if your mobile phone runs out of battery, or you forget it one day? You would constantly need to charge your phone as well as running the sensors inside it while you are driving will eat battery life.
An acqaintance died recently because he crashed into a tree by himself on a remote country road and wasnt discovered for 2 hours. This system would have saved his life.
Im not sure what all the data protection is for when the police sell your details to the injuries claim sharks anyway.
No Thanks