Emergency Centre representatives meet on 16 March to discuss eCall

Creation date: 30 March 2006

Emergency Centre representatives met in Madrid on 16 March 2006 to discuss eCall - the pan-European in-vehicle emergency call. Generated either manually by a vehicle occupant or automatically via activation of in-vehicle sensors, such a call will establish voice contact with the nearest emergency centre (Public Service Answering Point) and automatically transmit key data about the accident.
 
During the event in the Spanish capital, Michael Nielsen from the eCall Driving Group and Emilio Davila Gonzalez from the European Commission presented the current status of the eCall initiative. Mr Alvarez from the organization 112 Asturias then went on to introduce the Spanish position on eCall. Spain supports the eCall initiative in general and wants to continue its involvement. Its main concern, however, is the possibility that false emergency calls could be generated through the eCall system once it is implemented in 2009.

The eCall Driving Group will now investigate further Spain’s concerns and issue a study on false calls. The study will look into similar systems currently on the market triggering alarm calls to service centres. In addition, the Madrid Public Service Answering Point has agreed to make available the information about an automatic distress call system implemented in 3000 taxis in Madrid. Spanish experiences from implementing and running this system could potentially be used to minimise the probability for false alarms resulting from eCall implementation.

Should the study conclude that there is a real risk of a substantial increase in false calls, Spain has suggested that an intermediary centre between the vehicle and the 112 Emergency Centres be established. Such a solution would however require that the emergency authorities introduce quality control mechanisms and that the intermediate operator work under the control of the local, regional or national emergency authorities.

Visit to the Emergency Centre in Madrid    

Thanks to the Centro Emergencias 112 de la Comunidad de Madrid the event was a success and included a visit to the Emergency Centre’s facilities for the participants.

More than 50 participants followed the discussion on eCall

More information about this meeting can be found here.

For more information about eCall, please visit the eCall Toolbox.