By decision of the European Union, every new car sold must now have an electronic stabilization system or tire pressure control . From April 2018, eCall , an automatic emergency call device, will also be added to these assistants. Yesterday, the European Parliament decided on its introduction to all new cars and light commercial vehicles, introduced after March 31, 2018.
In the event of an accident, the eCall system can automatically connect the vehicle's on-board unit and the European emergency call line 112 via the mobile network. The device can tell emergency services the type of vehicle, the type of fuel used, the time of the accident, the exact location and the number of passengers.
Due to the protection of personal data , vehicles equipped with the eCall system will not be subject to monitoring before an accident, and data processed by emergency call centers via the eCall system will not be passed on to third parties without the prior express consent of the person concerned. In addition, car manufacturers are required to ensure that the collected data is kept in such a format that it can be completely and permanently deleted .
The MEPs hope that the device will reduce the number of victims of traffic accidents by about ten percent per year. Last year, 25,700 people died on the roads of EU countries, so eCall could reduce their number by 2,570.
EP rapporteur Olga Sehnalová says: "The introduction of the eCall system in cars, which will use the 112 emergency call line throughout the EU, represents a significant contribution to strengthening road safety in all 28 member states. The European Parliament has repeatedly emphasized that it considers reducing the number of dead and alleviating the severity of injuries as its priority. eCall, as a public service that will be provided free of charge to all citizens, regardless of the type or purchase price of the car, will contribute to the fulfillment of this goal."
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Source: European Parliament
