Auto Emergency Call Technology Approved

The Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection of the European Parliament has given approval for all new vehicles to have an automated emergency call function installed which activated in the event of a crash.

The equipment is known as “eCall” and will automatically notify the emergency services in the event of a crash, sending the location data, type of vehicle and fuel being used automatically, thus speeding up the response time. This will subsequently “save lives and reduce the severity of injuries”, according to the statement made by the committee.

The ruling would come into force on the 31^st of March, 2018, at which point all new cars and light commercial vehicles would have to have the equipment installed.

The draft text of the motion was agreed in December after a number of concerns were raised over the security of the data collated. Only the minimum details required would be sent to the emergency services and would not be retained, nor would they be sent to third parties without the explicit consent of the person concerned.

The legislation was finally approved today in the commission of the Parliament with 26 votes in favour and three against. It will now be submitted for final approval in Strasbourg in April.