UAE to launch automatic emergency calling system for vehicles

The UAE is considering implementing a new system that will automatically enable vehicles to call emergency services for help if involved in traffic accidents.
The UAE's General Authority for Regulating the Telecommunications Sector (TRA) has said it has considered the implementation of 'eCall', a major milestone for the UAE.
When implemented it would automatically enable vehicles to call emergency services for help if involved in traffic accidents.
"This is a major milestone for the UAE, adding to the record of our achievements at the national level. It has proven that the infrastructure of the licensed mobile networks is able to accommodate innovative services such as the automatic eCall system.

"The eCall system is here to save lives, as it reduces the time to alert rescue services due to its supreme location accuracy," said Majid Sultan Al Mesmar, TRA Acting Director General.
"The TRA is delighted to consider the introduction of an eCall system within the nation, as an absolute necessity, in order to drastically reduce the amount of fatalities in road accidents and to achieve the 2021 goal of zero road fatalities," he said.

The eCall readiness was evaluated during January-February 2015 with respect to conformity and performance.
"eCall provides a mechanism for automatically connecting the car to the authorities handling emergency situations. It is an electronic safety system enabling a car to automatically call emergency services in case of an accident.

"Once the eCall device in the car senses a severe impact during an accident, it automatically initiates an emergency call to the nearest emergency centre and transmits the exact geographic location of the accident scene and other data," said Saif bin Ghalaita, TRA Director of Technology Development Department, project manager.
There will always be a voice connection between the vehicle and the emergency call centre in addition to the automatic data link, he said.