Car tech that calls 999 after a crash ‘may be time waster’

NEW cars that automatically contact emergency services after a crash could lead to ambulances racing to accidents when they are not needed, government advisers have warned.

Since April, all new cars are fitted with “ecall” devices that automatically contact the emergency services when airbags are deployed, giving the vehicle’s location and other details.

The system is designed to reduce the time it takes to respond to incidents, but there are concerns it could lead to unnecessary call-outs.

A study by Systra, an engineering group, said: “Substantial savings in deaths and serious injuries have been identified. However, there is concern by some that this system may divert emergency vehicles to sites where they are not needed, or which do not need to be prioritised in terms of threat to life or consequences of serious injury.”

Ed King, the president of the AA, said that the technology was a “lifesaver”.

He said: “If a car crashes and runs off the road out of sight – as happened in Scotland a couple of years ago – without witnesses, then injured occupants may never get out. ecall would sense the severity of the crash and alert emergency services of which airbags went off, the location and colour of the car. On balance, with more connected cars and services, then ecall can become an additional feature to make our cars safer and ultimately save lives.”

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, the motoring research charity, said: “The success of ecall depends on two things. First, that the equipment is calibrated correctly so that only crashes of a certain severity result in the emergency services being contacted. Second, that call-handlers are trained to adequately decipher the automatic message and have the police, fire and ambulance resources required to attend.

“ecall is just one of the many hi-tech systems being built into modern cars, which collectively should make collisions less likely to happen and have less severe consequences if they do.”

The Government previously objected to the technology because of its potential cost, but was forced to accept it by the EU. The devices will add about £70 to the cost of a new car.