At the Intelligent Transport Systems Conference in Brussels this week, EU Commissioner for Transport Slim Kallas urged a rapid deployment of eCall, which involves having a transmitter in every vehicle that would summon aid and give precise information of the incident location to emergency services.
The Commission hopes to have the system implemented from 2014, but it requires a number of issues to be dealt with. These include standardisation of communications protocols and language.
Proprietary eCall solutions that rely on SMS exist already today from car makers such as BMW, PSA and Volvo Cars.
Once in active deployment, other telematic services are expected to be included such as route advisories and traffic information.
The project is supported by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), an interest group of European automobile, bus and truck manufacturers, and ERTICO, a nonprofit organization promoting the implementation of intelligent transportation systems and service providers in Europe. BB
