All new cars, from March 31st 2018, will have to be fitted with an e-call system which rings the emergency services if you have a crash and are unconscious or otherwise unable to make the call yourself.
The new legislation was proposed by Euro MP Olga Sehnalova of the parliament's Social and Democratic (S&D) grouping and was voted into law this week.
"The reduction of the number of deaths on European roads has always been a priority for the European Parliament, being mentioned on several occasions in many resolutions," she said.
"The quicker response from the emergency services to accidents on roads across Europe could save about 2,500 lives in the EU every year. The severity of injuries will also be considerably reduced in tens of thousands of cases.
“We ensured that the vehicles equipped with 112 public eCall are not traceable and are not subject to constant tracking. In fact, the device will upgrade the data constantly and keep the minimum information required to handle the emergency calls.”
Optional extra
Thus far, the motor industry has been receptive to the new legislation. European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association’s secretary general, Erik Jonnaert, said that “with eCall to be available on new vehicle types in April 2018, this decision brings Europe one step closer to making operational a system which we have been advocating since 2004.”
Some cars already have such systems included as part of optional extra equipment. Ford’s SYNC2 system, for instance, uses an e-Call device which, in the event of the driver being incapacitated by an accident, rings the emergency services, gives the vehicle’s location and also warns the attending units as to the number of passengers on board and whether or not there are any children.
It can open a voice line to the interior of the car, allowing the emergency services to talk to anyone in the car who’s able to respond.
Solange Heloin Villes, press officer for the European Parliament’s S&D group, said that “concerning the latest data, the new device should cost approximately €100. It is also expected that with increasing penetration and mass production, the price will decrease accordingly.”
