Emergency vehicle notification systems in Europe

In Europe, there’s a system being developed called in-vehicle eCall.  Similar to the OnStar system, it’s a safety system that generates an emergency call either manually by the vehicle occupants or automatically via activation of in-vehicle sensors after an accident. When activated, the in-vehicle eCall device will establish an emergency call carrying both voice and data directly to the nearest emergency point, normally to the nearest 112 Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). The voice call enables the vehicle occupant to communicate with the trained eCall operator. At the same time, a ‘minimum set of data’ is sent to the eCall operator receiving the voice call.

an Ecall, between car, satellite, and response system.

The minimum set of data contains information about the incident, including time, the precise location, the direction the vehicle was travelling, and the vehicle identification. The pan-European eCall aims to be operative for all new type-approved vehicles as a standard option. Depending on the manufacturer of the eCall system, it could be mobile phone based (Bluetooth connection to an in-vehicle interface), an integrated eCall device, or part of a broader system like navigation, Telematics device, tolling device. eCall is expected to be offered at the end of 2010, at the earliest, pending standardization by the European Telecommunication Standardization Institute and also a commitment from large EU member states like France and the United Kingdom.

‘Cooperative’ road systems

Another interesting ITS concept in the works is the Cooperative Road System.  These systems include on-road two-way communication vehicle-to-vehicle, and vehicle-to-communication-centers.  Here’s how it works:  Data which is available in the vehicle may be transmitted to a communication center for processing. This data can be used to detect events such as rain (wiper activity) and congestion (frequent braking).

Image of a cooperative road system, with the person, car, and bike emitting signals.

The big advantage with Cooperative road systems is that they are able to provide support to the driver for driving tasks. The system will be based on a wireless data transmission network. The server processes a driving recommendation dedicated to a single or a specific group of drivers and transmits it directly to the vehicle. The ultimate goal of Cooperative road systems:  See the European Commission Increase road safety. The definition of cooperative systems is spelled out by the European Commission:  “Road operators, infrastructure, vehicles, their drivers and other road users will cooperate to deliver the most efficient, safe, secure and comfortable journey. The vehicle-vehicle and vehicle-infrastructure Cooperative systems will contribute to these objectives beyond the improvements achievable with stand-alone systems."

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