In-Car Camera System Mimics eCall

Greg Hyde

---

14th August 2018

A connected law enforcement technology provider is partnering with two telecoms giants to roll out a privately run version of Europe’s eCall.

Under the deal with AT&T and Verizon, Axon’s wireless cameras will be connected to FirstNet, a broadband network being built by AT&T in partnership with the US First Responder Network Authority enabling the country’s emergency services to communicate accident and emergency data to each other. The aim is to decrease response times to collisions and reduce deaths.

The move is an audio-visual replication of the existing eCall system that uses an on-board GPS connected ‘black box’ to automatically alert emergency services in the event of serious collision impact.

Like Axon’s partnership with AT&T and Verizon, the EU says the aim of eCall is “to reduce the time between when the crash occurs and when medical services are provided”. It claims Finnish research has estimated that eCall “might reduce between 4-8% of road deaths and 5-10% of motor vehicle occupant deaths in Finland”.

The UN has also resolved to make the adoption of such technology mandatory with its Regulation on Accident Emergency Call Systems and Axon, AT&T and Verizon would appear to be answering that call with this deal. Axon director of wireless strategy Will Egner says his company’s “network of devices and apps will only be strengthened with the power of Verizon and [its] relationship with AT&T”.

However, Axon claims that its in-car camera systems can detect “events such as a patrol vehicle door opening and light bar activation”.