The BMW Group headquarter in Munich hosted a delegation from the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA) to showcase its latest “EU Emergency Call” with automatic vehicle location through a number of tests and simulations. The same system is planned to be fitted in UAE models as of July 2020 upon the UAE cabinet decree No. 13 of 2018 which mandates the eCall system in accordance to the UAE.S 5019: 2018. The system will transmit an emergency call to notify authorities of the precise time and location of an accident.
Apart from the vehicle’s exact position and direction of travel, details such as whether the activation was automatic or manual, the vehicle identification number (VIN), number of passengers, vehicle model and propulsion type among other data are relayed to authorities. This information provides indications as to the nature and severity of the collision.
On the basis of all accident-related data, authorities are able to deploy the relevant emergency services required. The data also enables the alerted rescue crews to prepare the appropriate medical care for those involved in the accident before they arrive to the scene. The authorities are also able to stay in contact with the vehicle’s occupants until the emergency services arrive.
As well as automatic activation through crash detection, the system also allows the driver or front passenger to trigger the emergency call manually using an integrated SOS button to alert authorities in any kind of emergencies.
With a joint effort by BMW Group and ESMA to develop the future of mobility and UAE road safety, the delegation also visited the manufacturers’ Autonomous Driving Campus as part of their benchmark program to exchange technical knowledge around Autonomous Driving Systems (ADS).
H.E. Abdulla Al-Maeeni, ESMA Director General, said: “The development of the “Emergency Call” standard for vehicles imported to the United Arab Emirates has been accomplished in cooperation with our strategic partners in the UAE, such as the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority alongside the police and traffic authorities.
The eCall system implementation is anticipating a reduction in the response time for vehicles that have been affected by road accidents by 40%. Ultimately this means that injured passengers will be rescued a lot quicker, ensuring lives are being saved in the UAE.
The “Emergency Call” is an incredibly unique system and in fact, the first of its kind within the Gulf region, Middle East and North Africa, in accordance with the requirements of the UAE above mentioned standard.
The system has been introduced based on ESMA’s efforts and contributions towards achieving the UAE National Agenda 2021, especially in regards to the Safe Society Index. The eCall system, once implemented on the large scale, will reduce traffic accidents to the lowest possible limit, in a manner that raises the UAE’s quality of life indicators across the country.
It is one of the contributions of the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA) in line with the vision launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Dr. Hamid Haqparwar, Managing Director of BMW Group Middle East said: “At BMW Group, safety has always been in the core of what we do. It is paramount for us to offer our customers here in the Middle East the highest level of safety measures across all our products and services. We’re proud to be working with ESMA to demonstrate such innovation and our preparedness to integrate necessary measures like the “Emergency Call”, which is planned to be fitted across all BMW Group models as of July 2020 in the UAE.”
