EU Installs ECall Emergency Technology

2023 Author: Eric Donovan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-27 05:39

From 2015, new vehicles are to be equipped with the eCall emergency call technology. The ADAC welcomed the project of the EU Commission, which still has to be approved.

An automatic emergency call system should in future save lives in car accidents. The technology called eCall transmits the location to the ambulance service in the event of a collision with the car. "The eCall technology has great potential to save lives because it dramatically shortens the intervention time of the emergency services," said EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas on Thursday in Brussels.

2500 fewer deaths per year

From 2015, the EU Commission wants all new cars and commercial vehicles in the EU to be equipped with it. According to his authority, 2500 deaths could be avoided per year through eCall in Europe. The EU states and the European Parliament must agree.

In the event of an accident, the system reports all important data to the respective rescue control center under the emergency number 112, which is valid throughout Europe, with which the exact position including the direction of travel and time can be passed on, so that help can be provided more quickly. The system is triggered by an emergency call button. Numerous car manufacturers have been offering the system in their vehicles for years.

ADAC demands fair competition

The ADAC welcomes the decision of the EU Commission. The traffic club assumes that the emergency call service can reduce the number of road deaths by up to five percent per year.

However, the traffic club criticizes a lack of clear regulation to use not only eCall but also optional additional services from different providers via the respective on-board systems according to their own ideas. In addition, the ADAC called for fair competition between the providers of the systems. (AG / dpa)