CRASHED NORTH EAST CARS TO CALL FOR HELP
February 24, 2005 12:00 AM
All new cars sold in the North East are soon to be fitted with emergency transmitters intended to summon rapid medical help in the event of a crash.
Research work pioneered in Britain by the Automobile Association (AA) has led to new EU standards being introduced.
A transmitter in the car will be activated either automatically by pressure sensors that detect a sudden impact, or manually by an injured occupant of the car. The device can then relay information such as the exact location of the crash, severity of the incident and vehicle details to the emergency services.
It is thought that the new system could reduce the time for medical help to reach accident victims by up to half in rural areas and by up to 40% in towns and cities.
The devices will be embedded in the car's electronics with only a button visible on the dashboard and could be fitted as standard to new cars as soon as 2009.
The 'eCall' technology, which is already available on some car models such as the BMW 7-Series, could prevent up to 2000 deaths on Europe's roads each year.
Almost 1000 people were seriously injured or killed on roads in the North East last year, according to government figures released this month.
North East Euro-MP Fiona Hall hopes eCall will cut the number of fatal accidents on local roads.
The Liberal Democrat MEP said: "Nothing matters more than driving safely and at moderate speeds. But when crashes do occur this technology could save lives."
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