At the same time, the availability of technologies which can detect driver behaviour, reduce erratic driving, and intervene in, or respond to an incident, continue to grow – with the global connected vehicle market expected to reach USD 361 billion by 2030.
eCall, which enables a vehicle to automatically place a call for help if it is involved in an accident, has a critical role to play in helping to improve road safety outcomes. And while it is mandated in all new vehicles across Europe, it has not been adopted as a national road safety measure in Australia.
As we reflect on Australia’s rising road toll, it is important to ask whether we need to wait for policy, or instead, can industry help Australia take the next step in its road safety evolution – much sooner.
The road so far
In 2018, the European Union mandated that all new vehicles and light vans sold in Europe be eCall compatible. In Australia, eCall has been deployed by a small number of leading vehicle manufacturers. Additionally ANCAP has committed to making eCall a part of its future five-star safety rating.
Toyota and Lexus have made eCall widely available to its customers since 2020, as part of the company’s connected services platforms, which bring together Stolen Vehicle Tracking, and eCall services – Automatic Collision Notification and SOS Emergency Call.
In line with the government’s commitment to a vision of zero deaths and serious injuries by 2050, Intelematics partnered with ITS Australia in 2021 to call on the Federal Government to mandate eCall – highlighting data that showed doing so could reduce the number of road fatalities by up to 200 each year.
The Federal Government is in the process of assessing whether eCall is right for Australian roads. A key consideration is the cost of implementing the system. For eCall to be effective on a national scale, most vehicles would need to be equipped with the technology. The cost of operating a national eCall system, like in the UK, the creation of a new regulatory framework, and communications coverage across our vast land are also factors.
The opportunity for industry
In this environment the onus now falls on vehicle manufacturers to lead the adoption of eCall in Australia. eCall is a natural progression towards the future of connected vehicle technologies. It allows vehicle manufacturers to lead the way on safety and security and build out more data-driven services.
For vehicle manufacturers, connected services like eCall provide the foundation for other connected technologies that use data to enhance efficiency, personalisation and maintenance.
For example, connected vehicles can enable remote monitoring of vehicle health, gather data on driver preferences and behaviour – allowing for more personalised services – and communicate with each other and with infrastructure, such as traffic lights, to improve traffic congestion and reduce accidents.
Additionally, connected vehicles can generate data which allow vehicle manufacturers to offer new subscription-based services that meet the individual needs of vehicle owners.
Putting safety first
Time is of the essence in road accidents. The earlier a first responder can appear on the scene, the better the outcome is likely to be. Timely intervention prevents serious injury and death. This is even more essential in Australia than other parts of the world with two-thirds of all serious accidents occurring on regional and rural roads – a high proportion of which involve a single vehicle.
A recent road accident in Tasmania’s north demonstrates this. After a vehicle towing a horse cart crashed by the side of a regional road, emergency services were alerted automatically by an eCall system and were at the scene within eight minutes.
Because it is automatic, requiring no manual intervention, eCall is able to reduce the response time of emergency services. It does this by sending critical data such as vehicle identification, location, and direction of travel immediately before the incident. In the case of Intelematics’ Asure eCall platform, on average within eight seconds or less, a trained agent can be speaking with the vehicle occupant and have all available event information on hand to promptly engage emergency services as needed.
Staying ahead of the curve
The automotive industry remains one of the most competitive in the world, and manufacturers are always searching for ways to remain relevant and desirable to customers and to stay ahead of competitors. eCall presents an opportunity to do both.
eCall, as supported by Intelematics Asure, is unique when compared to other crash/collision response systems, because it adheres to ASIAL Guidelines – working within defined processes to enhance emergency response. It is also supported by Emergency Service call operators and is compatible with Australian cellular networks. And because it captures data automatically from the vehicle, it can improve and reduce the response time of emergency services.
Naturally, policy will take time and require consensus among the states on how eCall technology will be rolled out and integrated across state borders, but the longer we wait the more lives will be lost.
For vehicle manufacturers eCall improves the safety of vehicle owners, paves the way for more data-driven services and creates new revenue streams. Supported by Australia’s leading mobility and traffic expert Intelematics, there is no reason not to prioritise safety as we head towards a more connected future.
Jules is a highly experienced sales executive with a consistent proven record in promoting innovative products into Enterprise, Transport & Logistics, Public Sector and Automotive industries. He has over 14 years in selling specialised technology solutions to Automotive, Enterprises and Telecommunications industries in Australia, New Zealand, Japan and across Asia. Jules is passionate about connected services that enhance mobility, convenience and safety for people on the move. Here he writes about industry trends in the mobility as a service space.
