Ministry to start pilot project on emergency call system for new cars
PUTRAJAYA: The Transport Ministry is set to begin the pilot project for the emergency call system, or eCall, this year.
Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the ministry, through the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros), was in talks with car manufacturers on the installation of the device in new cars.
“The pilot project will kick off as soon as the manufacturers give the green light. However, this is on a voluntary basis.
“Some manufacturers have expressed interest and have come forward. But, none has committed to the installation of the system.
“The system is ready. The manufacturers just need to come on board,” he said.
Liow was met at the signing of a memorandum of cooperation (MoC) between Miros and Telekom Malaysia Bhd here yesterday.
He said eCall could be a point of sale for car manufacturers to sell their cars.
“More safety features can be an added value in selling cars.”
The system works by automatically notifying the Malaysian Emergency Response Services, or MERS 999, with information about an accident in the shortest possible time.
“This would mean that there will be no need to call an emergency hotline during an accident.
“The system will automatically send an accurate notification, such as location, direction of the accident and accelerometer data, directly to MERS 999, and they will relay the message to the police.”
He said the first 10 to 15 minutes of an accident was the golden time.
“If we can reduce an ambulance response time, we can increase the chances of victims’ survival in a crash,” he said.
He said eCall system would also be equipped with anti-theft functions.
The system will be free of charge for car users in Malaysia. The same feature in some countries imposed a subscription fee on motorists, he added.
He said he hoped with eCall, the number of crash fatalities could be reduced by up to 50 per cent by 2020.
“The number of accidents recorded in 2016 stood at 521,466 compared with the previous year at 489,606.
“The number of deaths also increased to 7,152 in 2016 from 6,706 in 2015.
“For 2017, the number of deaths stood at 5,038 until September.”