Dubai: All 2019 model vehicles entering in the UAE from the middle of next year will come equipped with an emergency calling system that will automatically report an accident to police and ambulance services, the Telecom Regulatory Authority (TRA) announced on Monday.
The system that will be mandatory for all new cars will help reduce emergency response time which is key in saving lives in many serious cases.
Though it is optional for the existing vehicles, motorist driving older vehicles can also have the system equipped, said Hamad Al Mansouri, Director General of TRA, addressing a press conference on the second day of 37th Gitex Technology Week.
Accident alerts
“The system will ensure that the emergency response teams at Dubai Police and Ambulance services are alerted immediately after an accident, complete with the identity of the driver and the location of the accident,” said Al Mansouri.
Being launched in partnership with Dubai Police and Ministry of Interior, the system is seen as an important initiative in the government’s efforts reduce the response time after accidents, which currently averages around 12 minutes.
“On an average the police and paramedics reach the accidents sites within 12 minutes after an accident is reported in Dubai, but the government has made it mandatory on us to reduce the response time considerably by 2020 and we believe this system will help us in this endeavor,” said General Kamil Butti Al Suwaidi from Dubai Police.
However, he added that often there is a delay in reporting the accident, particularly in cases when the driver is hurt and he is not in position to make call.
“This system will come in handy, particularly in cases when the drivers are not in a position to call. In many cases even when we get the calls there is clarity on location, which causes delays in reaching the spots in time,” said Al Suwaidi.
Covering all parts of the country, the system will not come at an additional cost on the part of motorists.
“Wherever the accident happens the system will alert the emergency operation centre and nearest available emergency teams will arrive at the accident spot immediately,” said General Mohammad Al Kitbi from Abu Dhabi Police.
He added that all categories of new vehicles, including heavy trucks, buses, vans and passenger cars will be loaded with the emergency calling feature.
How it works
All new models will be equipped with a chip and a SIM card.
On impact, the chip will automatically send an alert to emergency services.
The alerting mechanism will also send the exact location of the accidebt spot.
This will enable responders to quickly reach accident sites in situations when drivers are unable to make calls.
