New cars in UAE to be fitted with smart accident reporting systems by 2019

All new vehicles imported to the UAE will be fitted with a smart feature that automatically links to emergency services in the event of an accident by the beginning of 2019.

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, TRA, in co-operation with the Abu Dhabi and Dubai Police, announced the approval of a number of emergency centres in the UAE to support the eCall system.

It will send a distress signal to the police command control centre and allow emergency personnel to locate the vehicle within a matter of seconds.

Announced on the sidelines of the Gitex Technology Week, the new system will accelerate the accident response time by providing a sophisticated feature for rapid communication with the emergency teams.

This will reduce the level of human error in locating the accident site, and help achieve the highest level of integration in emergency response, the TRA said in a statement.

Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Director-General of TRA, said, "The eCall initiative is part of TRA’s mission to improve the quality of services to the people and enhance community happiness based on the ICT sector. The system will prove especially useful in situations where the driver is unable to communicate due to injury.

"We strive to achieve leadership in the ICT infrastructure in the UAE, as well as enhance the smart lifestyle of all those living on this land. This requires innovative efforts to come up with solutions that are in line with the requirements of the era and the global developments."

The eCall system will automatically connect the vehicle to the emergency authorities. The system senses the magnitude of the accident, and immediately contacts the nearest emergency centre, accurately transmitting the geographical location of the incident as well as other relevant data.

Regardless of whether the call is made automatically or manually, the eCall provides voice communication between the vehicle and the emergency centre staff, where passengers could answer questions about their condition.

Major General Mohammed Khalfan Al Romaithi, Commander-in-Chief of the Abu Dhabi Police, said, "The advanced system provides innovative solutions to enhance the speed of response when traffic accidents occur."

The Abu Dhabi Police response centres are ready to use the new system, he added.