Automatic crash alert system in place by 2010

INTELLIGENT CARS that call emergency services for you in the event of a crash, relaying the exact location of the vehicle and even details of the level of damage, could be in place in Ireland by 2010, under an "eCall" initiative approved by the European Parliament.

ECall, based on mobile phone and global satellite positioning technology, greatly increases the chances of emergency services reaching the scene of an incident within the "golden hour" after a crash which emergency services say often makes the difference between life and death.

A number of carmakers already offer a version of eCall using their own call centres, and tests of a pan-European system - utilising the 212 emergency number - have recently got under way.

The EU maintains eCall could reduce European road deaths by up to 2,500 per year and reduce the level of serious injuries by up to 15 per cent. In Ireland, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) said the initiative would be particularly useful in saving lives, due to the high level of single vehicle crashes which occur on minor roads, late at night or in the early hours of the morning at weekends.

Last month the European Parliament approved a resolution calling on 14 member States, including Ireland, which have yet to sign a memorandum of understanding on the issue, to do so this year.

The Parliament noted that a number of car manufacturers have already installed their own eCall type systems, mainly in high-end vehicles such as larger BMWs. A spokeswoman for BMW told The Irish Times that it has branded "ConnectedDrive" that delivers an advanced emergency call ensuring emergency services have details of the location, nature of incident and even likely scale of injuries before they arrive.

Data is relayed from BMW's own call centre to emergency services operating in the location of the crash. It was first launched in America in 1997, and was introduced in Germany in 1999. It is now in use in nine countries.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Transport said Ireland was keen on the introduction of eCall, and was "positively disposed to it in principle".