Photo: ADAC
According to a report by The European Commission, over 1 million people have been injured, and nearly 30,000 have been killed in car crashes on the continent’s roads in 2012. The number of casualties might have been reduced had the EU been providing a faster response time from emergency services.
To address that issue, starting April 1 all new cars manufactured in Europe will have to be fitted with eCall, an automated system that dials emergency services in case a serious crash occurs.
The European system will rely on in-vehicle sensors to detect when a crash take place and then automatically dials the European emergency number 112. It then establishes a telephone link to the appropriate emergency call center and sends details of the accident to rescue services.
The data being transmitted includes information about the time of the incident, the accurate position of the crashed vehicle and the direction of travel.
The European Union says the eCall will not act as a black box for the car, meaning it will not monitor car parameters. It will not be a Big Brother-type deal either, they say, as the position of the car will not be recorded at all times, but only now and then.
The European Union estimates that the SIM-based eCall system will add an extra 100 euro to the price of each car.
Several organizations, including the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), are delighted with the idea, hoping that eCall might help save both lives and money.
“eCall has the potential to save many lives by shortening the reaction time of emergency services,” said Erik Jonnaert, ACEA secretary general.
“This means that ambulances, fire engines, and the police can intervene as quickly as possible within the ‘golden hour’ after a collision,”
The problem with eCall, as with any other similar systems, like OnStar, is that if the area in which a crash occurs has no cell towers, or the SIM doesn’t lock on a signal, the system will not work.
The European system will rely on in-vehicle sensors to detect when a crash take place and then automatically dials the European emergency number 112. It then establishes a telephone link to the appropriate emergency call center and sends details of the accident to rescue services.
The data being transmitted includes information about the time of the incident, the accurate position of the crashed vehicle and the direction of travel.
The European Union says the eCall will not act as a black box for the car, meaning it will not monitor car parameters. It will not be a Big Brother-type deal either, they say, as the position of the car will not be recorded at all times, but only now and then.
The European Union estimates that the SIM-based eCall system will add an extra 100 euro to the price of each car.
Several organizations, including the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), are delighted with the idea, hoping that eCall might help save both lives and money.
“eCall has the potential to save many lives by shortening the reaction time of emergency services,” said Erik Jonnaert, ACEA secretary general.
“This means that ambulances, fire engines, and the police can intervene as quickly as possible within the ‘golden hour’ after a collision,”
The problem with eCall, as with any other similar systems, like OnStar, is that if the area in which a crash occurs has no cell towers, or the SIM doesn’t lock on a signal, the system will not work.
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