Plans to put a life-saving ‘Dashboard Angel’ in every new car are set to get the green light this week thanks to Labour MEPs and their political group in the European Parliament, which led on the proposal.
Under the new rules, car manufacturers will be required to install an on-board ‘E-Call’ system in new cars, which will automatically dial the emergency services in the event of a serious accident. The system is designed to work with the European-wide 112 emergency services number, ensuring drivers are protected when travelling abroad.
Catherine Stihler MEP, vice-chair of the European Parliament’s internal market committee, and Labour’s European spokesperson on consumer protection issues, said:
“Road safety concerns us all. Knowing that if you are in a serious accident emergency services will be automatically contacted and on their way to help can give all drivers and passengers across the European Union peace of mind and reassurance for families travelling abroad.
“ECall is an effective tool which will help reduce road deaths and save lives across the UK and the EU. As we see technology develop, cars are amongst our everyday objects in which technology will have a direct and important impact. E-call is one of the latest examples of this transformation.”
Lucy Anderson MEP, Labour’s European spokesperson on transport and tourism, added:
“Many people in the UK travel around Europe on business or on holiday, and we also have a large number of visitors from abroad on our roads every year. When accidents occur, if emergency services cannot be alerted quickly because of language difficulties or the inability of car occupants to call for help, the resulting delays can potentially be fatal.
“The E-Call system will allow the emergency services to get to accident scenes faster and could save thousands of lives each year. It is very disappointing the Tories and UKIP in the European Parliament have been opposing this measure, showing yet again they do not take road safety seriously.”
The new rules ensure the e-Call system is dormant until activated in the event of an accident. Vehicles equipped with eCall are not traceable and are not subject to any constant tracking. The set of data sent by the in-vehicle eCall system includes the minimum information required for the appropriate handling of emergency calls."
For further information, please contact Shamik Das on 0044 7920 441362 or 0032 479 790053.
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Notes to Editors
1. In the event of a severe road accident, an eCall-equipped vehicle will automatically trigger an emergency call. Even if passengers cannot speak, eCall creates a voice link to the closest Public Safety Answering Point and sends an emergency message.
The system allows emergency calls to be made without language difficulties and will contribute to the target of reducing the number of road deaths and injuries in Europe by reducing the emergency services response time.
2. In the light of evidence of differing factors across the EU such as population densities and road and emergency response infrastructure, it is estimated up to 2,500 lives per year could be saved as a result of this measure.
Official statistics show many thousands of people die in the European Union every year as a result of road accidents. For the last three years for which figures are available (2011-13), on average there were around 28,000 road fatalities annually.
For further breakdowns, see: http://ec.europa.eu/transport/road_safety/pdf/observatory/trends_figures.pdf
3. The mandatory equipping of vehicles with the eCall in-vehicle system will apply as from 31 March 2018 only to new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles.
4. The MEP responsible for this eCall proposal is Olga Sehnalová from the Czech Republic. She sits on the internal market and transport committees and is part of the Socialists and Democrats Group alongside Labour MEPs.
5. The vote is due to take place at around 1130 GMT on Tuesday (28 April).