The UAE will be the first country in the region in which cars will be equipped with an eCall system that automatically calls the police in an accident.
The infrastructure of the communication networks of the United Arab Emirates allows the introduction of an automatic call system for assistance in the event of an eCall traffic accident, said Majid Sultan Al Mesmar, Acting Director General of the UAE Telecommunications Committee. The system is triggered by a strong shock and sends to the rescue services the exact geographical coordinates of the scene of the accident and other information. Simultaneously with the data transfer, a voice channel is activated between the machine and the dispatch center.
The eCall system is designed primarily to save lives by immediately calling for help, even if an accident occurred on an empty road, and all those in the injured car were unable to call an ambulance or cannot explain where they are. The implementation of the system will allow the UAE to come closer to the goal set for 2021 for the complete prevention of deaths in road accidents.
Testing of mobile networks in the UAE for their readiness to implement the eCall system was carried out by TUV Rheinland Middle East in collaboration with NavCert, a leading developer of eCall. Testing was carried out on most important roads in the country, the total length of which amounted to more than 5000 km. Mobile networks of both licensed operators are recognized as fully suitable for the implementation of the system.
The success of the implementation of the system in the UAE now depends on the coordination of cooperation between the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the UAE, car manufacturers and the Telecommunications Committee. The installation of sensors and a transmitting device of the system should be mandatory on all vehicles in use in the country.
