According to the latest research, enhancing driver safety is one of the highest priorities for Fleet Managers and Operators (FMOs). AFMA data shows an 18 per cent increase in safety as a priority for fleet managers from 2022 to 2024. An advancement in achieving this goal is eCall. While proven in Europe, adoption in Australia has been slow. But as more fleets bring focus to driver welfare, and more vehicles become connected, eCall is poised to revolutionise fleet management here too.
eCall has been mandated by the European Union for all new vehicles since 2018. This has led to its adoption in fleets. For FMOs, this shift has enabled them to provide a better duty of care to their drivers and to more efficiently manage vehicles involved in crashes.
eCall provides peace of mind to both employees and drivers – knowing they are supported by proven connected vehicle technology.
eCall in Australia
The benefits of eCall are gaining traction in Australia. Toyota and Lexus have made eCall widely available to its customers since 2020 as part of their connected services platforms. These bring together Stolen Vehicle Tracking and eCall services – including Automatic Collision Notification and SOS Emergency Call.
International evidence shows that eCall can halve incident emergency response times. This is time that falls within the ‘Golden Hour’ of emergency response when each additional minute is critical. According to the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics, there have been 1,327 road deaths in Australia (in the twelve months up to July 2024). In part, this is why ANCAP is seeking to promote eCall in its safety rating scheme from 2026.
The majority of Australian fleets rely on manual notifications. This process is inefficient due to delays and miscommunication of critical information including the time and location of incidents. Data may be captured from multiple sources – including phone conversations, emails or text messages – increasing the risk of inaccuracy. Utilisation of eCall could eliminate these inefficiencies by automatically notifying an FMO of a crash or if emergency services were dispatched. This could allow the FMO to commence their duty of care and accident management response within minutes of an incident.
Duty of Care driving adoption
From our discussions with FMOs in Australia, a key driver for integrating eCall into fleet operations is duty of care. Because it is automatic, requiring no manual intervention, eCall is able to help reduce the response time of emergency services. It does this by relaying critical data such as vehicle identification, location, and direction of travel. On average, emergency services are alerted within ten seconds of an incident. A fleet manager can be notified of an incident within three minutes.
By utilising eCall, FMOs can also make a real-time assessment of welfare and deploy appropriate support services. This includes providing support for an employee or driver operating under personal duress.
Taking a dynamic approach
For FMOs, eCall presents an opportunity to manage duty of care requirements in tandem with operational efficiency. It does not have to be an either or scenario. Secondly, it provides a platform which can be used to reposition fleet operations from a reliance on manual systems and processes to a more dynamic and automated stance.
As one of Australia’s leading providers of eCall Call Centre services, we believe integrating this technology into fleets represents a critical advancement for both driver safety and post-accident care. And with Australia’s growing road safety challenges ANCAP’s intention to promote eCall in future safety testing, the role this technology can, and will play, is clear.
Adopting eCall is a proactive step toward enhancing safety and operational stability. And in one of the most competitive sectors in the world, will also help fleet operators stay ahead of the competition.
To discuss eCall or eCall Call Centre Services, offered by Intelematics, contact Jules Snow: [email protected]
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.
