e-Call SOS

Most new cars and vans are now fitted with an emergency call system, known as eCall.

It is intended to bring rapid assistance to motorists involved in a collision anywhere within the European Union. The aim is for all new cars to incorporate a system that automatically contacts the emergency services in the event of a serious accident, sending location and sensor information. eCall was made mandatory in all new cars sold within the European Union as of April 2018.

This built-in safety feature is automatically activated in the event of an incident when the airbags are deployed.

TRL has suggested that, eCall could reduce emergency response times by 40 percent in urban areas and by 50 percent in rural areas 

This can also be manually activated by the driver or passenger by pressing a button – this button is known as eCall SOS.

National Highways has some very useful explanations of the main benefits of eCall, provides guidance on locating the eCall SOS button, and advice on when to use and not use eCall on its customer website available here.

There is also a video which explains the benefits of eCall and the key information that drivers and passengers need to know.