Thursday, September 15, 2005

European Cars to Have 'ECall' System

European car makers will soon make cars equipped with an automated emergency call system, but EU governments are lagging far behind in embracing the technology, the European Commission said Wednesday.

By 2009, all new cars in the EU will come off the conveyer belt with an ''eCall'' system, which in case of an accident will automatically dial 112 --the EU-wide emergency number.

''I am generally pleased with the progress of eCall, in particular on the industry side,'' EU Technology Commissioner Viviane Reding said.

''However, if EU Member States don't react, and fail to invest in the necessary emergency service infrastructure, we shall face a delay in the introduction of eCall technology,'' she added, in comments at the Frankfurt international car show.

The European Commission launched an initiative to speed up steps by national and regional governments to invest in the eCall technology.

Full article at New York Times (subscription may be needed)

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