The Transport Committee in the European Parliament supported the introduction of a mandatory electronic system of emergency - the famous eCall - in all new car models as from 2015. "ECall could save lives with relatively little effort", said Dieter-Lebrecht Koch, from Germany, Vice-Chairman of the Transport Committee in the European Parliament.
Even if no passenger is able to speak, e.g. due to injuries, a "Minimum Set of Data" is sent, which includes the exact location of the crash site. Shortly after the accident, emergency services therefore know that there has been an accident, and where exactly.
eCall cuts emergency services response time. It goes down to 50% in the countryside and 60% in built-up areas. The quicker response will save hundreds of lives in the EU every year. The severity of injuries will be considerably reduced in tens of thousands of cases. You can also make an eCall by pushing a button inside the car. Witnessing an accident, you can thus report it and automatically give the precise location. As eCall normally 'sleeps', it does not allow vehicle tracking outside emergencies.
"ECall should be activated via the existing pan-European emergency number 112. This has two advantages: first, in the case of accidents, the severely injured would be given priority, and second, abuse can be prevented by the automatic recall of the rescue coordination centre", said Mr Koch. ECall can also co-exist with private emergency providers.
