Improved vehicle software relating to car accidents for 2015
13.09.2011
The project is about installing software in every car programmed to call the number for emergency services in case of a serious accident in which the driver may be unable to dial. On September 8, 2011, the European Commission adopted the first step for achieving this goal by 2015. The intention of the Commission is, by 2015 onwards, to install lifesaving eCall systems on all new models of cars. In case of serious accident eCall automatically dials 112, Europe’s international emergency number, and transmits the vehicle's location to emergency services.
The adopted recommendation calls on Member States to ensure that mobile operators will upgrade their infrastructure so that the call system, eCall, can be effectively transferred to the relevant emergency services free of charge and with priority. The goal is that by 2015 eCall’s system becomes fully operational throughout the European Union (as well as Croatia, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland).
The deployment of the eCall system will aid in the rescue of hundreds of people throughout Europe every year and reduce the consequences of injuries and trauma in tens of thousands of cases. It is especially necessary in cases where the driver or passenger is unconscious or unable to call emergency services. It is estimated that this technology will accelerate the arrival of rescue teams by 40% in urban areas and 50% in rural areas.
The expenditures on the installation of eCall in cars amounted to less than 100 EUR. The system protects privacy and prevents tracking of vehicles because until activated in an accident, no signals are being sent.
European Commission is expected to accept specifications for the modernization of the emergency centers in order to create the necessary technical and organizational opportunities to work with the system. |