eCall emergency alert system officially launched and mandatory for new EU vehicles
As of 31 March 2018, all new commercial vehicles (car and light van models) sold in the European Union are required to have eCall devices installed. eCall devices automatically alert emergency services in the event of accidents, sending positional, direction and time information. An estimated 20 million new vehicles will be affected.
Daimler uses Infineon eSIM security controllers for the emergency call feature. The Mercedes-Benz “Mercedes me connect” system, offers the emergency call functionality required by law (“Mercedes-Benz eCall”), and also offers accident management, breakdown and maintenance management, remote vehicle diagnostics, and remote services for customers.
It is estimated that eCall can speed up emergency response times by 40% in urban areas and 50% in the countryside and can reduce the number of fatalities by at least 4% and the number of severe injuries by 6%.
“Thanks also to EGNOS and Galileo, eCall will enable emergency response teams to locate an accident faster and with much greater accuracy, thereby saving more lives, an important day for Europe and Galileo!” – Carlo des Dorides, GSA Executive Director
