eCall is activated automatically as soon as in-vehicle sensors detect a serious crash, sending details of the accident to the emergency services so that they can provide assistance to vehicle drivers and passengers more speedily.

Directive 2010/40/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 July 2010 on the framework for the deployment of Intelligent Transport Systems in the field of road transport and for interfaces with other modes of transport.

The aim of eCall is to bring rapid assistance to occupants of a vehicle involved in a serious accident anywhere in the European Union plus Iceland, Norway and Switzerland.

eCall is activated automatically as soon as in-vehicle sensors detect a serious crash. Once set off, the system dials the European emergency number 112, establishes a telephone link to the appropriate emergency call centre and sends details of the accident to the rescue services, including the time of incident, the accurate position of the crashed vehicle and the direction of travel (especially important on motorways and in tunnels). An eCall can also be triggered manually by pushing a button in the car, for example by a witness to a serious accident. Shortly after the accident, emergency services therefore know that there has been an accident and the precise location of the accident.

The data received through the eCall system will allow emergency services to provide assistance to vehicle drivers and passengers more quickly, thus helping to save lives and to treat injuries rapidly. Estimates suggest that eCall could speed up emergency response times by 40% in urban areas and 50% in the countryside, and save up to 2,500 lives a year.

In addition to the road safety benefits, eCall will also have a significant impact on reducing the congestion caused by traffic accidents and on reducing secondary accidents caused by unsecured accident sites It is also expected that the in-vehicle equipment introduced by eCall could be used for other additional emergency and/or added value services, in parallel with or building on the 112-based eCall in-vehicle system.

Directive 2010/40/EU of 7 July 2010 on the framework for the deployment of ITS in the field of road transport and for interfaces with other modes of transport has identified as one of the six priority actions for which binding specifications will have to be elaborated (Art. 6) the harmonised provision for an interoperable EU-wide eCall (art 3 d).

REFERENCES

Act	Entry into force	Deadline for transposition in the Member States	Official Journal
Directive 2010/40/EU	26.8.2010	27.02.2012	OJ L 207 of 6.8.2010

Delegated Acts	Entry into force	Deadline for transposition in the Member States	Official Journal
Commission delegated Regulation (EU) No 305/2013	23.4.2013	23.4.2013Provisions on information service already deployed on the date of entry into force of this Regulation: 23.4.2014	OJ L 91 of 3.4.2013

Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning type-approval requirements for the deployment of the eCall in-vehicle system and amending Directive 2007/46/EC. [COM(2013)0316 final of 13.6.2013 - not published in the Official Journal]

Proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the deployment of the interoperable EU-wide eCall. [COM(2013)0315 final of 13.6.2013 ]

In June 2013, the European Commission adopted two proposals to ensure that, by October 2015, cars will automatically call emergency services in case of a serious crash. This draft legislation will ensure that from October 2015, all new models of passenger cars and light duty vehicles would be fitted with 112 eCall and the necessary infrastructure would be created for the proper receipt and handling of eCalls in emergency call response centres - ensuring the compatibility, interoperability and continuity of the EU-wide eCall service.

Once these proposals are approved by the Council and Parliament, the Commission is aiming to have a fully functional eCall service in place throughout the EU (as well as Iceland, Norway and Switzerland) by 2015.