From March 31, automobile manufacturers in Europe 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) has welcomed 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,”said ACEA Secretary General, Erik Jonnaert.

“The rollout of eCall is just one of many developments designed to limit the effects of road accidents,” Jonnaert added. “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 has also called 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.