Europe News: French DDSC certifies PSA Peugeot Citroën’s emergency call system
After several months of co-operation with the French Interior Ministry’s department of public safety (DDSC), PSA Peugeot Citroën has become the first European carmaker with an emergency call system certified to be in compliance with French road safety organisations’ standards.
After conducting an audit, an independent certifier confirmed that PSA Peugeot Citroën’s system complies with the standards validated in July 2005 by the national conference of fire & emergency services (CNSIS).
The emergency call system helps emergency services respond more quickly and efficiently by leveraging data transmitted by Peugeot and Citroën vehicles that are either involved in or witnesses to a road accident.
The vehicles are equipped with an onboard telematics system that sends an SMS containing information about the type of vehicle, the exact location of the accident (determined by GPS) and the vehicle’s phone number.
When possible, more extensive information on the number of people involved and the seriousness of their injuries is obtained once voice contact is established between the vehicle and the Inter Mutuelles Assistance (IMA) emergency hotline.
A PSA Peugeot Citroën database also provides information on the type of fuel in the tank.
According to European Commission statistics, some 2,500 lives would be saved each year in the European Union if this type of system were extended to all vehicles on the road.
Since the emergency call service was inaugurated in France in 2003, Peugeot and Citroën have sold 300,000 equipped vehicles in the seven European countries where the service is available. The IMA platforms in Europe have received more than 1,000 emergency calls.
