Get Autoblog in your Google feed
The European Commission this week
issued a wake-up call to its Member States, urging them to step up efforts to strengthen emergency service
infrastructure in time for the launch of the eCall system, which will be built into all new European vehicles starting
in 2009.
An eCall-equipped vehicle automatically calls emergency services in the event of a crash, dialing the universal
European emergency number, 112. The system can also be triggered manually.
Although the automotive industry is well-prepared for the 2009 launch, infrastructure preparation is lagging in some
countries.
eCall is part of the EU’s broader
eSafety initiative to use
information and communication technologies to increase road safety and reduce the number of accidents.