An eCall system will automatically contact the emergency number 112 immediately after a crash, and the dispatcher will contact the occupants. In that way, the crash severity may be assessed and the proper emergency services will be sent [33]. An EU infographic about the interoperable EU-wide eCall explains this.
The advantage of eCall is that emergency services will generally be warned sooner when casualties are unable to do so themselves or when there are no bystanders or other road users to make the call. Previously, Schoon et al. [6] estimated the effect in the Netherlands to amount to a 2% reduction in the number of fatalities and serious injuries if all cars were equipped with eCall. This is in line with the 5 to 10 fewer road deaths expected by the Ministry of Justice and Security [34]. The system has been mandatory for all new types/models of cars and delivery vehicles since 1 April 2018 [35]. The number of vehicles currently equipped with the system is unknown. Schoon et al. [6] estimate that six years after the introduction of the legal requirement 48% of the cars will have eCall.
