Cars should automatically call for help after crashes, EU says
By 2015, the European Parliament wants all new cars to automatically alert emergency services in case of a crash, a service known as eCall.
The Parliament adopted a resolution to this effect in a show of hands on Tuesday, and urged the European Commission to make eCall law.
The introduction of eCall, designed to automatically call the European emergency number 112 when a car crashes, would enable rescue services to arrive faster, saving up to 2,500 lives a year and reducing the severity of injuries by 10% to 15%, according to the European Parliament. The call could be triggered by on-board sensors such as those in the airbag detecting a crash, or by any car occupant pushing a button.
