New eCall system in UAE cars to alert police about accidents

From 2021 all new vehicle models in the UAE will have an eCall system fitted into them. The system will alert the Abu Dhabi Police control room directly in case of an accident. 

This will aid the police and emergency services to provide assistance in the shortest possible time. International accreditation for handling such automated vehicle accident emergency calls has been given to the Abu Dhabi Police’s emergency centre.

From 2021 all new vehicle models in the UAE will have an eCall system fitted into them, which will directly call the police control room in case of accidents. Photo Courtesy: BMW Twitter
From 2021 all new vehicle models in the UAE will have an eCall system fitted into them, which will directly call the police control room in case of accidents. Photo Courtesy: BMW Twitter

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of UAE developed the eCall system in cooperation with the Emirates Authority For Standardisation & Metrology and police authorities.

The system works in a way that information such as the location, vehicle type, fuel type and number of passengers inside the vehicle, would automatically be sent to the police control room in cases of emergencies.

Information such as the location would enable authorities to reach and provide emergency response in the fastest possible time. Photo Courtesy: Unsplash
Information such as the location would enable authorities to reach and provide emergency response in the fastest possible time. Photo Courtesy: Unsplash

This would provide authorities with relevant information needed for emergency response and rescue and reduce the time needed for ambulance operations thus increasing the rate and speed of treatment and consequently of survival of accident victims. 

The TRA tested the internationally accredited operators networks, Etisalat and du, to ensure their preparedness to run the eCALL system. 

The UAE Government, private bodies, vehicle agencies and vehicle manufacturers determined the specifications for the optimal eCALL system after three years of research.