banner

‘Intelligent Emergency Call’ will be offered from next year

BMW reveals emergency eCall system

Written by Ben Purvis , Date 12:56 PM

Cars that have automatically called the emergency services in the event of an accident have been around since the last century but BMW is to be the first firm to offer the technology on bikes.

From next year you’ll be able buy the firm’s eCall system as an optional extra on new BMW models.

The system works by using sensors to judge whether the bike has been in an accident and then automatically calling the emergency services on the Europe-wide 112 number. It can then pass on the coordinates of the bike.

There are three scenarios where the system works. First, in the event of what’s judged to be a serious accident, the emergency call takes place immediately. The rider, if conscious and near the bike, will be able to speak to the BMW call centre while waiting for assistance. The emergency services will be summoned regardless and the call cannot be cancelled.

In less serious accidents, as judged by the on-bike sensors, the call isn’t triggered until 25 seconds after the impact. If no help is needed, the rider can cancel the call, but if he doesn’t cancel it, the same procedure happens as in the first scenario.

The third option is to manually trigger the emergency call by pressing the SOS button on the right bar. This might be used if the rider witnesses another accident that he’s not involved with and needs to summon help for someone else. Again, this call can be cancelled, and it can only be used if the bike is stationary with the ignition switched on.

BMW says that the system is clever enough to be able to tell the difference between a real accident and a non-emergency situation like the bike being knocked over while stationary or hitting a pothole.

The components include the SOS button, a built-in speaker and microphone to allow the rider to communicate with the call handlers and an array of sensors to detect accidents. GPS and a phone signal are needed, of course, to be able to pinpoint the accident and call the emergency services.

The system will be offered in Germany first, followed by other European countries.

An identical system is already set to become mandatory in all newly-sold cars in Europe from spring 2018. It’s more than likely that in future it will also become a standard piece of equipment on motorcycles.

 

 

 

Article Tags:  
Article Categories:   BMW News

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

×