Safety technology set for 2015 introduction

European Union (EU) member states may soon be compelled to install eCall technology in cars, in a bid to make vehicles safer.

IEWY News reported that the EU wants to have legislation in place by 2015, with the organisation citing research showing that emergency services' response times could be improved by 40 per cent and 50 per cent in urban and rural areas respectively.

This means that long term car hire firms look set to have to fit their vehicles with eCall, which is estimated to cost £90 for each car and automatically sends information and calls for help when a serious crash occurs.

Neelie Kroes, EU commissioner for the digital agenda, said: "I am delighted - together with my colleagues responsible for transport and vice presidents Siim Kallas and Antonio Tajani - that we have taken the first step to ensure that millions of citizens will benefit from eCall."

In a statement reported by Sky News, the European Commission explained that it had called on the industry to introduce the technology voluntarily, but the slow response seen has prompted the bid to back the safety feature with legislation.

The news service described how the automatic emergency call system allows a call to be made immediately after an accident, even if the driver and their passengers are too injured to do so themselves.