The UAE has made Emergency Call (eCall) System mandatory in all vehicles which will help reduce the response time for vehicles hit by traffic accidents by up to 40 per cent. Esma confirmed that the eCall emergency communication system will be applied in the UAE to the 2021 vehicle models, which will be delivered to the UAE market in 2020. It is the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa, and the second globally after the experience of the European Union,
What is eCall?
Post-crash care is a key Safe System strategy to help reduce the consequences of injury through fast and efficient care.
eCall is a system that provides an automated message to the emergency services following a road crash which includes the precise crash location. The in-vehicle eCall is an emergency call (wireless call) generated either manually by the vehicle occupants by pushing a button or automatically via activation of in-vehicle sensors after a crash. When activated, the in-vehicle eCall device will establish an emergency call carrying both voice and data directly to the nearest emergency services.
The voice call enables vehicle occupants to communicate with the trained eCall operator. At the same time, a minimum set of data will be sent to the eCall operator receiving the voice call. The minimum set of data contains information about the incident including time, precise location, vehicle identification, eCall status (as a minimum, indication if eCall has been manually or automatically triggered) and information about a possible service provider.
What are the benefits of eCall?
These systems aim to reduce the time between when the crash occurs and when medical services are provided. The aim is to reduce the consequences of injury to prevent death and disability, particularly in single vehicle crashes. A Swedish study into ‘survivability’ in fatal road traffic crashes concluded that 48% of those who died sustained non-survivable injuries. Out of the group who sustained survivable injuries, 5% were not located in time to prevent death, 12% could have survived had they been transported more quickly to hospital and a further 32% could have survived if they had been transported quickly to an advanced trauma centre (Henriksson, 2001). Additionally, many emergency service providers may receive several calls for each incident, for which they may have to respond several times and it is anticipated eCall may enable them to manage responses more effectively.
A prospective Finnish study has estimated that such a system might reduce between 4-8% of road deaths and 5-10% of motor vehicle occupant deaths in Finland. For the whole EU area a reduction of (5–15%) = 2.500 fatalities annually in the EU is estimated, when eCall will be fully deployed. An American estimation made by the doctors was, however, greater (9–11%).
sources:
https://ec.europa.eu/transport/road_safety/sites/roadsafety/files/ersosynthesis2016-adas15_en.pdf; https://www.khaleejtimes.com/business/auto/uae-to-make-emergency-call-system-mandatory-in-vehicles
Share your story
