Testing for that one tough call

摘要

In two years, with some exceptions including the UK, most of Europe will see the full implementation of the pan-European eCall emergency notification system, where all new cars introduced into the market will need to be fitted with a certified in-vehicle unit (IVU), a tough call for vehicle manufacturers and the equipment suppliers. In order to be able to supply equipment into the market, sub-system manufacturers will need to meet stringent test requirements as defined by the European Commission and developed by the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL). eCall is an automatic emergency notification process covering the whole of the continent, where Public Service Access Points (PSAPs) receive automatic calls to the international 112 emergency number from in-vehicle systems that detect a collision. A voice call is opened with the PSAP, whose operators assess the seriousness and despatch emergency services as appropriate.