eCall

eCall is a European Union initiative that is designed to help motorists who are involved in a collision. A device installed in vehicles automatically contacts an emergency call centre in the event of a serious road collision. It knows a crash has happened through impact sensors in the car and the deployment of airbags. GPS coordinates are then sent to local emergency services, who then know where to look for the crashed car. Some estimates suggest eCall could reduce emergency response times by 40% in urban areas and by 50% in rural areas. All new car models sold within the EU from April 2018 must have an eCall function which is great for peace of mind.