A report by the RAC Foundation has found that around three-quarters of SOS button presses are false alarms, while the remainder resulted in a connection to the emergency services.
eCall systems, which send a voice call and a data packet to emergency services following an accident, have been mandatory in all new car and light goods vehicle models since April 2018.
The systems are activated automatically following an accident, or manually through pressing an SOS button in the vehicle’s interior.
When activated, the systems direct the call to 999 or a third-party service provider, which connect the driver to emergency services if necessary.
The report found that 85% of eCall alerts in 2024 were triggered through SOS buttons, with the majority of these not resulting in a connection to emergency services, therefore being considered false alarms.
These false alarms were likely triggered by a vehicle occupant accidentally pressing the button, a dealership demonstrating the system, or faults caused by water ingress.
Of the eCall alerts triggered automatically, a third were considered false alarms and two thirds were connected to emergency services.
Automatic false alarms can be triggered by harsh speed bump impacts, or battery depletion.
The report suggested that drivers should be educated on the systems, the buttons should be clearly labelled and the technology should be certified thoroughly, to avoid false alarms.
It also suggested that anonymised eCall data should be used to identify crash hotspots and improve road safety.
Steve Gooding, director at the RAC foundation said: “Whilst there is the need to address the issue of false alarms and risk of misuse, eCall presents a promising channel for sourcing information that could complement initiatives such as stopped-vehicle detection and traffic-camera surveillance – while routine vehicle breakdowns should not prompt 999 calls, we know only too well that a breakdown in a dangerous location can quickly escalate to something far more serious.
“Nick’s report raises a number of detailed issues, including the challenge of navigating the interface between our data protection rules and the pressing need to understand the detailed circumstances of road crashes.
“His work suggests there is, in fact, a navigable way through these concerns, which could lead to valuable insights.
“Meantime, the headline message is clear: there is untapped potential in eCall that we cannot afford to overlook if we are serious about making our roads safer.”
