Emergency Call System for Retrofitting

Reutlingen – From March 31, 2018, the “eCall” European emergency call system is mandatory for all new cars in a new model series. This innovative technology saves people’s lives by automatically notifying the emergency services in the event of an accident. Older models and pre-owned cars that do not yet have the built-in system can now be easily and inexpensively upgraded with the Telematics eCall Plug (TEP).

On average, cars in Germany are 9.3 years old, which means that many car drivers will be dependent on retrofittable solutions for some time yet. According to calculations by the German Insurance Association (GDV), it will take almost ten years until even half of all cars will actually have an eCall on board. In an accident, however, this eCall can save crucial seconds: in many cases, the driver or passengers are seriously injured or are in shock, preventing them from summoning help by themselves. According to the GDV, the accident reporting service organized rapid assistance for 280 accidents last year alone, with more than 600 breakdown and accident reports coming into the car insurers’ emergency call center. At the heart of the emergency call system is a connector equipped with acceleration sensors for the cigarette lighter socket. The Telematics eCall plug works in combination with a smartphone app.

Retrofittable guardian angel

If the Telematics eCall Plug detects an accident, it sends information to the app on the smartphone, which connects to the connector via Bluetooth. Acceleration sensors and intelligent algorithms determine the severity of the collision. The app then automatically transmits this information in real time, along with the GPS data, via the smartphone to the GDV service center and establishes a voice connection between the vehicle and the emergency call response center. If the driver is unresponsive and the transferred data indicates a serious accident, the service center initiates rescue crew deployment immediately. The emergency call service doesn’t just help car drivers in the event of a serious accident, however. It can also be invaluable following bodywork damage or breakdowns: if the Telematics eCall Plug detects a low-velocity collision or if the car driver manually asks for assistance, direct contact can be established with the insurance company, which will advise on the next steps to be taken. Car owners wishing to upgrade their cars with the accident reporting service can obtain the connector directly from their car insurer for a low annual fee.