Support for accident alarm

Mobile telecoms companies have pledged to support the EU’s campaign to equip new cars with a device that would automatically call for help in the event of an accident.

The endorsement by the GSM Association, a global body representing hundreds of companies, is a big step forward for the so-called eCall system. Deploying the system requires the involvement of the telecoms industry, carmakers and emergency services.

Telecoms commissioner Viviane Reding hopes the pledge, signed at a ceremony this week, will encourage EU countries to roll out eCall sooner. For now the system is optional, but the commission is considering making it mandatory if there is no progress by the end of the year.

The launch had been scheduled for this autumn, but four years after the project began, eCall is still not operational in any EU country.

The system could, according to the EU, save some 2,500 lives a year across Europe and reduce severe injuries by at least 10 per cent. But several countries have expressed concerns about the cost, estimated at about €100 (£87) per car. Others have been slow to upgrade their emergency centres and train rescue personnel to handle the calls.