Britain’s Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IME) has added its voice welcoming news the European Union Parliament has voted in favour of the mandatory EU-wide emergency alert system, eCall.
The body’s approval echoes that of Europe’s Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), which said it had been advocating such a system for more than ten years.
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“This technology automatically alerts emergency services in the case of a serious car accident providing the exact location using Global Positioning Systems,” said IME head of transport, Philippa Oldham.
“The vote by the EU Parliament is very welcome news as these technologies have the potential to cut road fatalities by as much as 10%.
“Since 2012, the Institution has been calling for the mandatory roll out of the eCall system, as well as collision-avoidance technologies for all buses and lorries, which could help eliminate cyclist and pedestrian deaths caused by driver ‘blind-spots’.
“We hope this vote by the EU Parliament will prompt the EU and UK Government to examine other ways intelligent transport systems can help improve transport safety.”
