Europe to Mandate Cell Connectivity in Every Automobile

By Cristian Onvio :: 8:36 AM

The European Union is devising a plan to require every passenger vehicle on the road to be outfitted with a mobile phone or similar device that alerts emergency crews in the case of an accident.

European Commissioners signed off on draft legislation that would make the requirement come into effect in 2015. European Parliament and the Council of the European Union will also need to sign off on the measure, but lawmakers expect no opposition to the regulations.

The technology is called eCall, and when installed in a vehicle, the service will automatically dial Europe’s emergency number, “112”, when a crash is detected. Legislators hope that by automating the emergency service call, response times to road accidents will be faster, and emergency workers will be able to more accurately locate a wreck.

European officials believe that the cost of implementing the regulations will amount to about €100 ($130) per each new car fitted with the devices. It is expected that the mandate could save 2,500 lives over a ten year period.