Saving lives with modern technology

A few minutes can make the difference between life and death for an accident victim. In an effort to save valuable minutes, European researchers have developed a device for cars that automatically calls the nearest hospital after a serious accident, transmitting the location of the car and allowing an ambulance to get there faster.

EU policymakers reckon that this device, known as ‘eCall’, could save thousands of lives every year.

It is one of several gizmos that have been developed through the EU’s ‘Intelligent Car Initiative’, a project to develop ICT devices to allow cars to communicate to each other and their surroundings, such as road traffic infrastructure or hospitals.

Such ‘co-operative systems’ are also being developed through PReVENT, a joint EU-industry project to develop technologies to prevent road accidents. The European Commission and European carmakers put in equal shares of the €60 million budget. Fabbrizio Minarini, head of sector of the Intelligent Car Initiative at the European Commission, says: "One of the main causes of accidents is human error. PReVENT’s main objective is to provide the driver with support."

Matthias Schulze, a senior manager at Daimler and co-ordinator at PReVENT, says that he thinks it has had good results since it was launched in 2004. None of the technologies is yet on the market although Schulze thinks emergency braking systems for trucks could be built into new vehicles in two years’ time. He predicts that some communication technology could be seen in cars in two to five years. A third area of work is Willwarn (Wireless local danger warning), an early-warning system for drivers that sends a message to cars if conditions are icy or wet. The technology is still on the drawing board and depends on working out agreements between car manufacturers to share know-how. It is at least a decade away from mass production.

The motorbike industry is also paying attention to the road-safety agenda. Fillipo Segato, a spokesman for the Association of European Powered Two-Wheeler Manufacturers’ Association, an industry group representing motorbike and moped makers, says that this sector has been overshadowed by cars and lorries. According to the association, motorbikes and mopeds represent 2% of vehicles on the roads, but account for 16% of fatalities. (In some countries, it can be a fifth of all accidents). Segato says that the industry has brought in advanced-braking systems and (as of 2008) introduced new voluntary guidelines to ban stunts and risky driving in advertising.

Road-safety campaigners like the direction of travel towards preventative technologies, but want to see more from industry and policymakers. Ellen Townsend, head of policy at the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), prioritises three technologies linked to the three main causes of death. First, technology to advise drivers when they are exceeding speed limits (intelligent speed adaptation); second, in-car reminders about wearing seatbelts; third, devices that require a breath sample to start a car (alcohol interlocks).

A few minutes can make the difference between life and death for an accident victim. In an effort to save valuable minutes, European researchers have developed a device for cars that automatically calls the nearest hospital after a serious accident, transmitting the location of the car and allowing an ambulance to get there faster.