The eCall early help calling system will be launched from April 123/3/2018|Press releasesThe Automatic Emergency Call (eCall) system will be officially launched from April 1. From this date on, the manufacturers are obliged to install on-board units of this system in all new passenger car and truck models up to 3.5 tonnes, certified for the European market. Mobile operators were supposed to get ready for the launch of the eCall system by October 2017. The Czech Republic was one of the leaders of the eCall project within the European Union. This system was built to reduce the time between reporting that an accident has happened and the arrival of rescue units on site. This can substantially mitigate the consequences of an accident. "According to statistics, five to ten people die in the Czech Republic every year, because they are seriously injured in a car accident, they cannot call for help and there is no witness of the accident who could help them. This primarily involves accidents on unfrequented roads during the night. In case of a severe injury, every minute decides about how serious the consequences of the accident will be for the health of the victim. We cannot really directly read these losses in the statistics, but they can play a major role for the future life of the injured," said Tomáš Neřold who is in charge of the control of a separate unit of BESIP of the Ministry of Transport. The Ministry of Transport was at the birth of the eCall project and initiated the involvement of Integrated Rescue System components in this system within the European Union. In the Czech Republic the Ministry of Transport coordinated the research work and the actual project implementation. Since 2005 the ministry has supported the eCall system with almost CZK 30 million. It is interesting is that the predecessor of the eCall system was emerging in Czechoslovakia already in the 1970s and 1980s under the name AUTOVOC. The then system was working based on radio connectivity. Basic questions and answers regarding the eCall system: How does the system work? A GNSS unit, with an integrated SIM card and voice telephone, is installed in the vehicle. By pushing the SOS button or in case of automatic activation of the vehicle impact sensors, an alarm will be triggered and the vehicle automatically transmits the necessary data to the emergency call centre of the integrated rescue system plus it calls 112. After this the passengers communicate with the operating officer who assesses the situation and sends the rescue units as needed. If the passengers do not respond when the eCall system activates automatically and established a direct phone connection, the operating officer will evaluate the situation as such that there have been serious injuries and sends help. Data transmission The data shall provide sufficient information to the operating centre officer in advance, so that he/she does not bother the passengers and can concentrate on the vital tasks only. The following basic data are transmitted from the vehicle: • Vehicle position • Driving direction (important for the motorway network) • Engine type (petrol, diesel, lpg, cng, hybrid, electric, hydrogen) • Number of persons in the vehicle (depending on the seatbelts worn) • vehicle VIN When and who? Since 31 March, newly approved vehicle types M1 and N1 must have eCall fitted. Where does the system work? The system works everywhere in Europe. In other countries of the world under it works under a different name. As the eCall system does not require a fast data connection, but is GSM-based, data can be sent even with very low reception quality. How does it work abroad? In our country and in European countries the vehicle always calls the emergency number 112 and there are operators specially prepared to handle such an emergency call. For example in Austria the operators speak German and English. Who pays for this? The price of the eCall on-board unit installation is already included in the production price of the vehicle and according to experts it is not higher than EUR 100 per vehicle. Thanks to the mass implementation the price will go down further. Calling through eCall is free of charge like calling 112. Do I have to modify my vehicle? No. The system only applies to newly approved vehicle types. Will I be constantly monitored when on the way? No. eCall is sleeping and wakes up only if the sensors are automatically activated or the SOS button has been pushed manually.