eCall

ECall (short for emergency call) is a planned by the European Union automatic emergency call system for motor vehicles, which must be installed on or after October 2015 mandatory in all new models of cars and light commercial vehicles. In the vehicle -mounted units should report a traffic accident automatically to the single European emergency number 112 and help you through the quick rescue measures initiated to reduce the number of road deaths and reduce the severity of injuries in road traffic. eCall is an important project of the European Commission's eSafety initiative.

History

Already in 1982, tested the Federal Highway Research Institute ( Federal Highway Research Institute ) in the Federal Republic of Germany has a similar emergency call system for motor vehicles, including car emergency call system called. It was a small personal locator beacon for motor vehicles, the cutting rescue time in case of accidents and thus should contribute to reduced accidents and to rescue people. The company AEG- Telefunken developed, for example, a personal locator beacon AutoNotfunk that could be integrated in the dashboard of motor vehicles, and in an accident the relevant competent rescue coordination center was informed by radio. The radio signal should it received from a relay station and the location of the motor vehicle can be determined by means of Peilmasten. The cost of the necessary establishment of a nationwide network of Peilmasten and the equipment of the rescue coordination centers were estimated at one billion DM. By car emergency call system it should be complemented conventional emergency telephones, and in 1984 the antenna assembly including approximately $ 500 per vehicle should cost. However, the system could not prevail.

Since the start of the system delayed again and again, put some car manufacturers such as Volvo, BMW and Peugeot on its own, fee-based (partial) solutions. The European Commission decided on 8 September 2011, the introduction of all new cars from 2015. Recommendation of the Commission, Member States are requested to ensure that mobile operators forward the eCall calls a priority and do not charge any fees.

There are two different emergency partner who ÖAMTC and an insurance company in 2012 in Austria. At the time about 50,000 vehicles alone are connected ÖAMTC.

Technique of eCall

In an accident, an emergency call (eCall) is triggered on the euro emergency number 112, a minimum set of data directly to an emergency call center ( PSAP - Public Safety Answering Point) to settle, but at the same time a voice connection in the event that builds an occupant of the crashed cars can still speak. eCall will be automatically and manually triggered.

The minimum data set contains, among other things, the time of the accident, the exact coordinates of the accident site, the direction of travel (important on motorways ), vehicle ID, service provider ID and eCall qualifier ( automatically or manually triggered ). Optionally, the communication of data from on-board safety systems is possible, such as the severity of the accident and the number of occupants, whether the seat belts were created, whether the vehicle has roll over, etc.

Manufacturer

Among the manufacturers of eCall systems include, among others, Continental AG, Magneti Marelli and Peiker.

Other aspects of

The introduction of eCall due, among other things, the number of cars equipped with a GPS and GSM module, an antenna and an additional control unit, in which the eCall function is implemented. In this regard, eCall is also seen as paving the way for traffic telematics among private consumers, since many of the necessary for eCall internals are the same as those required for other telematics applications. Also for mobile operators here gives rise to new business since the time required for eCall SIM card could optionally allow fee-based telematic services. The dial- in a mobile network in Europe planned eCall system will only immediately after the accident, so that no movement profiles of vehicles apply and would possibly stored on the basis of the Telecommunications Interception Ordinance.

About the complete operation and financing of the system, there is so far but still no clarity because the development is not yet complete. In particular, aspects are to be considered as roaming, so that a traveler also, for example, in Portugal immediately gets help with German vehicle. As regards the financing of the price of the eCall system and possibly a lump sum for the operation in the price of this option will be included.

Privacy Policy

The eCall system is criticized, despite good intentions to create possibly the technical basis for an EU-wide monitoring infrastructure. There is also the possibility that vehicle manufacturers will use the mandatory existing technology for commercial facilities which may generate additional data protection problems ( for example, "pay- as-you - drive" insurance contracts, tolling ). The European Association of Insurers Insurance Europe has officially expressed interest in ensuring that insurance companies have access to eCall data of their customers, which could theoretically serve the production of specific risk profiles.

Trivia

In December 2007, the deactivation of a similar system has been missed on the crash -course of the TUV in Cologne before a test. As a result of the crash tests the relevant emergency services were alerted and called on the spot, as the avionics had reported a " serious accident " along with the GPS coordinates.

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