UK to oppose new life-saving system in cars
EU wants to make eCall system mandatory, but British policymakers believe cost is prohibitive
The Government is opposing European Union efforts to fit potentially life-saving technology to new cars sold in the UK.
By 2018, it’s expected eCall – which sends airbag data and location details to emergency services after a crash – will be mandatory in all new cars sold in Europe in a bid to save up to 2,500 lives a year.
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UK policymakers don’t support making eCall mandatory, though, as they think smart motorways already provide rapid emergency response to accidents.
But a report by the parliamentary Transport Select Committee said: “This argument may not hold in remote rural locations and we note that a sizeable proportion of UK motorists drive in other EU member states.”
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In fact, 70 per cent of fatal accidents in the UK happen on rural roads. Implementing eCall in the UK would cost the Government around £370million, due to the need to train emergency services and educate drivers on the tech through advertising campaigns.
Meanwhile, the cost of the actual tech – around £100 – would be swallowed by consumers when buying a new car.
Some manufacturers, including Citroen and Ford, already have a version of eCall fitted as standard that works both in the UK and abroad.
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