ANALYSIS: Collision assisance tech

Date: 29 August 2014   |   Author: Jack Carfrae

The ACEA adds that three things need to be "ready simultaneously" if eCall is to work: "The devices need to be fitted to cars and vans; the equipment to receive and process the call - the public service answering points - must be ready in all member states; and the mobile network coverage needs to be in place."

The idea of a permanently connected car poses its own set of Big Brother-style conundrums around whether drivers are comfortable with a car's ability to target their whereabouts. Sena claims there is no issue with this though, as the system would only activate in the event of a crash: "No services are connected other than safety," he says. "The phone call is separate [to any other communication]."
The EU is pressing for a universal eCall system to become mandatory as soon as possible, and the most recent development came last month when the European Parliament approved moves for "the deployment of the necessary infrastructure" to get the ball rolling. If it works, it can't be a bad thing, but the current state of affairs means it could take longer than expected to see the technology in every new vehicle.

• Prev
• 1
• 2
• 3

Subscribe