The European Parliament has announced that, from March 2018, all new cars will be fitted with an ‘eCall’ system. To be used in case of emergencies, the eCall system will automatically contact emergency services should an accident take place.
It’s thought that the eCall system will have significant benefits, reducing emergency response times and also ensuring that drivers and vehicles can be found in the event of a crash in a quiet area. If a driver isn’t capable of calling for help on their own then their car will make contact so that the accident is discovered.
Tracking Locations and Other Details
On the face of it, the eCall system is simply an emergency feature. Worth noting, however, is the fact that we’re essentially going to have mandatory vehicle tracking devices fitted to our cars. Privacy concerns have led to the eCall system being delayed in the past.
The eCall system will send the following data to the emergency services:
- Vehicle type
- Fuel type
- Location
- Accident time
Older vehicles are not going to be covered by the European Parliament’s legislation,which means that retrofitting will not be required at this stage.
Vehicle Tracking Privacy
Modern technologies make it easier for vehicles to be tracked and monitored, for safety purposes or for other purposes including evidence gathering and company fleet monitoring. Many corporate vehicles are fitted with trackers to ensure that employees don’t use vehicles in their private time, or to make sure that drivers are completing their rounds within the allocated time.
Increasingly, GPS monitoring systems are also being used by taxi dispatchers and emergency vehicle dispatchers to maximise efficiency by targeting the vehicle closest to the desired destination.
Vehicle Tracking by Private Investigators
Within the limits of the law, private investigators can also track and monitor vehicles. For private clients, vehicle tracking services can be used to provide GPS information in real-time, without the vehicle’s driver knowing, or can be carried out using a GPS logger which needs to be recovered before data can be collected.
Long-term vehicle tracking services are also ideal for corporate clients that need to track the location of one or more vehicles. For more information, contact EJM to speak to Preston private investigators by phone on 01772 334700.