BRUSSELS, (Reuters) – All cars and light vans in Europe will have to be fitted with automatic emergency calling devices from April 2018 under new rules approved by European Union lawmakers on Tuesday, which could cut road deaths by 10 percent a year.
The so-called eCall device will automatically alert the nearest emergency centre in the event of a crash using emergency call technology, which will give authorities information such as the exact location and time of the crash and the number of passengers in the vehicle.
Members of the European Parliament in Strasbourg approved the law on Tuesday, meaning car manufacturers such as Volkswagenand Volvo would have to ensure all passenger cars and light commercial vehicles are fitted with the devices by March 31 2018.
