24 June 2013
In Traffic Technology from June 19 ERTICO Partner Continental was quoted in an article about the implementation of eCall in Europe by October 2015. The article explaines Continentals view on the importance of eCall be rolled out in Europe as it is a great opportunity to make road traffic safer in Europe.
19 June by TRaffic Technology Today: International automotive technology supplier, Continental, has welcomed the European Commission’s proposals for the mandatory introduction of the pan-European automatic emergency ‘eCall’ system by October 2015, and sees itself ideally equipped to supply the systems for all vehicle categories in the upcoming years. The company says the in-vehicle telematics unit, with which the vehicle transmits the emergency call after an accident, also opens up the possibility of integrating numerous other telematics services with connection to high-performance backend ‘Cloud’ systems, into the car. For vehicles with eCall fitted, the closest appropriately equipped public-safety answering point (PSAP) would automatically be alerted and informed of the vehicle’s exact location, after a serious accident, where the airbag was deployed. With this, invaluable seconds and minutes can be gained until help arrives for possible injured occupants and other affected road users. The EC expects the response time to be increased by approximately 40% in urban areas and up to 50% in rural areas.
“Like the European Commission, we see in eCall a great opportunity to make road traffic safer overall, as well as more intelligent and efficient,” said Hans Hiebl, head of the infotainment & connectivity business unit at Continental. “If vehicles receive real-time information about the flow of traffic or potential hazards, accidents can be actively prevented and traffic jams minimized. Current research projects are also demonstrating this.” As well as the gains in road safety, the company also sees eCall as an important step to establishing a truly Intelligent Transportation System (ITS). Dr Michael Ruf, head of its commercial vehicles and aftermarket business unit, explained, “As soon as vehicles are equipped with appropriate telematics modules, further services, with many advantages for the driver, can be established. By request, the location of stolen cars can be integrated into the range of functions, or the so-called ‘pay-as-you-drive’ insurance model can be realized.” Continental says it has already developed appropriate telematics systems for series production, which can be adapted at short notice to the needs of different vehicle manufacturers, and that volume production of eCall systems by 2015 is both possible and realistic.
