Skip to main content

FIA welcomes adoption of eCall legislation

The European Parliament has voted to adopt the eCall type-approval legislation, mandating emergency call technology as a standard feature in all new vehicles from 2018. Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) Region I has welcomed the outcome, while also regretting the three-year delay in implementation. Thierry Willemarck, president of FIA Region I, said: “Road safety has triumphed today. eCall has finally passed through all the necessary steps and will become mandatory in 2018. However, I hope
April 29, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
The European Parliament has voted to adopt the eCall type-approval legislation, mandating emergency call technology as a standard feature in all new vehicles from 2018. Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) Region I has welcomed the outcome, while also regretting the three-year delay in implementation.

Thierry Willemarck, president of 8054 FIA Region I, said: “Road safety has triumphed today. eCall has finally passed through all the necessary steps and will become mandatory in 2018. However, I hope that this can serve as an example to the European Institutions in the lives lost while the negotiations continued. When there is a proven case for lives saved, technologies must be swiftly implemented. However, we are pleased to see that there is a possibility to empower consumers through the 1690 European Commission’s mandate to examine open, secure standardised platforms that could be a great step forward for future connected car services in an open and competitive market.”

Following a decade of negotiation, the final eCall legislation is a balanced outcome that includes a mandate to the Commission to consider interoperable, standardised, and secure and open‐access network for the eCall communication. This has the potential to ensure that users widely benefit from new connectivity features of their vehicles thanks to eCall. It can also ensure that consumers eventually make the best use of their personal data for additional connected car services.

In a positive step for the protection of consumer data, the legislation stipulates that eCall data gathered by emergency centres or their service partners must not be transferred to third parties without the explicit consent of the person concerned. Manufacturers will also have to ensure that the eCall technology design permits full and permanent deletion of data gathered.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Ertico coordinates big data debate
    November 2, 2016
    David Crawford finds that agreeing a common data standard for auto manufacturers’ onboard sensors, navigation system companies and map makers is proving a complex task.
  • California grants Uber driverless car permit, releases autonomous vehicle regulations
    March 13, 2017
    The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has issued Uber with another permit to put its driverless cars back on the state’s roads, according to Reuters. Obtaining the permit also marks a concession for Uber, which had fought California regulators over the requirement and initially refused to apply for the US$150 permit. Following a disagreement with regulators last December when Uber argued that its cars do not meet the state's definition of an autonomous vehicle because they require constant mo
  • Road traffic deaths still rising worldwide, says WHO report
    December 12, 2018
    Poor road safety worldwide is a serious cause for concern, with thousands being injured or killed across the glove every single day. The issue is highlighted by a new report by the World Health Organisation (WHO). This indicates road traffic deaths continue to rise, with annual road fatalities now reaching 1.35 million, compared with 1.25 million just three years ago. The WHO Global status report on road safety 2018 highlights that road traffic injuries are now the leading killer of children and young pe
  • Virtual ITS European Congress 2020: report
    November 25, 2020
    ITS industry ‘needs to make a move towards each other’, Congress delegates hear