New van safety system from 2015

25th July 2013

From October 2015, all new models of light commercial vehicle under 3.5 tonnes will have to be fitted with the eCall system, which automatically calls the emergency services in the event of a serious road accident.

eCall is activated automatically when an in-vehicle sensor detects a serious crash. Once set off, the GPS-linked system dials the European emergency number 112, and sends details of the accident to the rescue services, including the time of incident, the accurate position of the vehicle and direction of travel.  An eCall can also be triggered manually by pushing a button in the vehicle, for instance by a witness to an accident.

Estimates suggest that eCall could speed up emergency response times by 40% in urban areas and 50% in the countryside.  In addition to road safety benefits, eCall is expected to have an impact on reducing the congestion caused by traffic accidents. It is also believed the technology could offer benefits and opportunities in other areas, such as stolen car tracking.



Once these proposals are approved by the EU Council and Parliament, the Commission is aiming to have a fully functional eCall service in place across the EU by 2015.  It could save up to 2,500 lives a year.