PUTRAJAYA: The Transport Ministry is set to begin its pilot project for the emergency call or eCall system this year.
Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the ministry, through the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros), is currently in talks with car manufacturers on the installation of the device in new cars.
"The pilot project will kick off as soon as the manufacturers give 'green light', however, this is on a voluntarily basis.
"Some manufacturers have expressed interest and have come forward. But none has so far committed to the installation of the system. The system is ready, the manufacturers just need to come on board," he added.
Liow was met at the signing of a memorandum of cooperation (MOC) between Miros and Telekom Malaysia (TM) Berhad here today.
He said the eCall system can be a point of sale for car manufacturers to sell their cars to prospective buyers.
"More safety features can be an added value in selling the car," he said.
The system works by automatically notifying the Malaysian Emergency Response Services or MERS 999 with information on an accident in the shortest possible time.
"This would mean that there will be no need to call an emergency careline during accident.
"The system will automatically send an accurate notification such as location, direction of the accident, accelerometer data, and gyroscope data directly to MERS 999 and they will relay the message to the police," he added.
Liow said the first of 10 to 15 minutes of an accident, is the most crucial or 'golden time'.
"If we can cut short the ambulance response time, we can increase the chances of victims' survival in any crash," he added.
He said as a bonus feature, the eCall system will also be equipped with anti-theft function.
The system will be free of charge for car users in Malaysia. The same feature in some countries imposes a subscription fee, he added.
Liow also hoped with the eCall system, the number of fatalities caused by road accidents can be reduced up to 50 per cent by 2020.
"The number of accidents recorded in 2016 stood at 521,466 compared to the previous year with 489,606.
"The number of deaths also increased to 7,152 in 2016 from 6,706 in 2015.
"For the year 2017, the number of deaths stood at 5,038 until September," he added.