The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) has welcomed the legislative proposal on eCall published today by the European Commission, and has called on all stakeholders to work together to deliver safe, affordable motoring on Europe’s roads. 

eCall is a European initiative intended to bring rapid assistance to motorists involved in a collision anywhere in the European Union. It aims to deploy a device installed in all vehicles that will automatically dial 112 in the event of a serious road accident, and wirelessly send airbag deployment and impact sensor information, as well as GPS coordinates to local emergency agencies.

European Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas, responsible for Transport, said: "Today's proposals are a milestone for safer roads in the EU. Last year, 28,000 people were killed and 1.5 million were injured on EU roads. When an accident happens, every minute counts to rescue injured victims. The eCall technology has great potential to save lives in shortening dramatically the time of intervention of emergency services and this across the EU."

The data received through the eCall system will allow emergency services to provide assistance to vehicle drivers and passengers more quickly, helping to save lives and to treat injuries rapidly. 

Estimates suggest that eCall could speed up emergency response times by 40 per cent in urban areas and 50 per cent in the countryside, and save up to 2500 lives a year.

ACEA says the industry is committed to drastically reducing the number of deaths involving motor vehicles. The rollout of eCall is just one of many developments designed to reduce road-related casualties.

“eCall has the potential to save lives by shortening reaction time, enabling emergency services to respond as rapidly as possible within the ''golden hour'' after an accident,” explained ACEA Secretary General, Ivan Hodac. 

In August 2004, ACEA became one of the first signatories of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on eCall, a system designed to automatically alert emergency services in the event of a road traffic accident or collision. Alongside its members, ACEA has actively participated in developing effective solutions for pan-European 112 eCall.

European Commission Vice-President Antonio Tajani, Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship, said: "The deployment of an interoperable EU-wide eCall system is an important progress in road safety. EU citizens can be reassured by this time and life-saving system which will help prevent loss of lives and injuries on our roads. It is also an important step forward to make our vehicles more intelligent and enhance our competitiveness.”

Mr Hodac said any public eCall service must be pan-European and available to all customers before the system becomes obligatory. He explained that for the system to work properly, EU infrastructure must be ready and able to receive eCalls. “Throughout the development process ACEA has consistently outlined the importance of parallel contributions from all stakeholders,” he explained. “Everyone and everything has to be in place for it to work.”

He said that everyone must uphold their commitments to the technology: Public Service Answering Points (PSAPs) must be ready in all member states, and Mobile Network Operators need to be prepared before in-vehicle systems are enforced. 

To make the adoption of eCall cost-effective, ACEA has called for adaptable eCall solutions based on technology-neutral legislative requirements, permitting embedded mobile phone based and third-party solutions. 

The current proposal does not specify the eCall system’s precise technical requirements, which would be expected in a subsequent Delegated Act in 2014. “The automobile industry is very concerned that the proposed October 2015 entry into force does not respect the 36 month lead-time that the industry will need to implement the technical adaptations, as recommended in CARS 2020,” explained Mr Hodac. 

“Also, considering the member states' requirement for working infrastructure to be in place, the time needed for legislative procedure and the need to assess the technical and legal challenges, this target date is highly ambitious.”