By April 2018, all new vehicles in the European Union will have to be fitted with a system that automatically calls the emergency services in case of an accident. That’s part of an attempt to decrease road casualties in Europe.
eCall is activated automatically as soon as in-vehicle sensors and/or processors (e.g. airbag) detect a serious crash.
Once set off, the system dials the European emergency number 112, establishes a telephone link to the appropriate emergency call centre (aka Public Safety Answering Points – PSAPs) and sends details of the accident (aka Minimum Set of Data – MSD) to the rescue services, including the time of incident, the accurate position of the crashed vehicle and the direction of travel.
An eCall can also be triggered manually by pushing a button in the car, for example by a witness to a serious accident.
Although Europe’s road fatalities have been falling since 2001, the aim of installation is to further reduce the casualties. Slovenia is the first European country to adopt the system and its emergency centers are already using it.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://ec.europa.eu/transport/themes/its/road/action_plan/ecall_en.htm
EU Road Fatalities
Road fatalities in the EU since 2001
