MEPs back plans to fit cars with emergency call system

However, it has not confirmed whether the eCall system, which uses sensors to call the nearest emergency centre via the European cross-border emergency 112 service when a car crashes, will become mandatory from the October 2015 deadline that was set by the European Commission in July 2012. MEPs left open a possibility to postpone this deadline to meet the industry’s request for more time to develop and test the system.

Once triggered, the eCall system automatically transmits the exact location of the vehicle and other data, such as the make of the car, and establishes a voice connection with the emergency services operator. This enables them to decide immediately on the type and size of rescue operation needed, which in turn helps them to arrive faster, save lives, reduce the severity of injuries and cut the cost of traffic jams.

eCall is an extension of the existing e112 system. The digits 112 are the mainland European counterpart for the UK’s 999, offering a single cross-border number for emergency calls.

Each year, emergency services across the EU deal with road accidents which in 2012 claimed 28,000 lives and left 1.5 million injured.

The European Commission says eCall could save up to 2,500 lives a year and has dismissed privacy fears after MEPs voted to strengthen a data protection clause in the draft law. They amended it to ensure that eCall-equipped vehicles are not subject to constant tracking.

A German study, STORM (Stuttgart Transport Operation by Regional Management), showed that with eCall, emergency service response time would be cut by 50 per cent in rural areas and 40 per cent in urban areas.

The decision follows a vote in December in the transport committee to approve legislation for member states to develop the technical infrastructure for handling calls from vehicles that have crashed.

Antonio Avenoso, executive director of the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), said: “The key technologies for eCall are already available and in use, so there is no need to postpone the entry-into-force. After a serious car crash, the time taken for emergency services to reach you can mean the difference between life and death. This system has the potential to save many lives because it will enable the emergency services to respond quicker.

“It is now crucial that European Parliament negotiators support the strongest possible implementation of the technology during negotiations with member states on the final deal and ensure these life-saving devices are in all new types of car and van from the end of next year.”

The internal market committee said that the European Commission should investigate extending the scope of the legislation to other vehicles by 2018. ETSC has called for all drivers and riders to have access to the technology, including building it into lorries, buses and also motorcycles.

The UK Government has not yet committed to the mandatory installation of eCall devices in vehicles because of cost concerns.