All new car will be equipped with eCall

As of today  (31 March), automobile manufacturers will equip all new types of cars and vans with eCall; a system that automatically dials emergency services in the event of a serious road traffic accident.

The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) welcomes this milestone, which has been made possible thanks to huge investments by the industry.

“eCall has the potential to save many lives by shortening the reaction time of emergency services. This means that ambulances, fire engines and the police can intervene as quickly as possible within the ‘golden hour’ after a collision,” explained ACEA Secretary General, Erik Jonnaert.

“The rollout of eCall is just one of many developments designed to limit the effects of road accidents,” Jonnaert stated. “Looking towards the future, ‘active safety’ technologies – which can prevent accidents from happening at all – offer massive potential to further improve road safety, for example by automatically intervening when a driver fails to react in time.”

ACEA also calls for an integrated approach to safety, combining further improvements in vehicle technology with improved driver training, better road design and maintenance, and the enforcement of existing traffic regulations.

ACEA represents the 15 major Europe-based car, van, truck and bus manufacturers: BMW Group, DAF Trucks, Daimler, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Ford of Europe, Honda Motor Europe, Hyundai Motor Europe, Iveco, Jaguar Land Rover, PSA Group, Renault Group, Toyota Motor Europe, Volkswagen Group, Volvo Cars, and Volvo Group.

About the EU automobile industry

• 12.6 million people – or 5.7% of the EU employed population – work in the sector.
• The 3.3 million jobs in automotive manufacturing represent almost 11% of EU manufacturing employment.
• Motor vehicles account for almost €396 billion in tax contributions in the EU15.
• The sector is also a key driver of knowledge and innovation, representing Europe’s largest private contributor to R&D, with more than €50 billion invested annually.
• The automobile industry generates a trade surplus of about €90 billion for the EU.