New cars and light commercial vans will be fitted with special technology to alert the authorities of a serious road accident from 2018.
A European Parliament ruling means vehicles will be equipped with an ‘eCall’ device that will automatically dial the 112 emergency number to alert the emergency services to the exact location of a crash in all EU member states.
The news was welcomed by Scottish Labour MEP David Martin and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents in Scotland.
Mr Martin said: “This represents a very important achievement for the safety of European road users.
“The quicker response from the emergency services to accidents on roads could save about 2,500 lives in the EU every year and the severity of injuries could be considerable reduced in tens of thousands of cases.
“The eCall emergency system will help improve road safety as it significantly reduces the time before the emergency services arrive when a serious accident happens.”
Karen McDonnell, head of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents in Scotland, said road safety was of “paramount importance”.
“Whilst the eCall system isn’t designed to prevent accidents it does reduce the time taken to raise the alarm providing detailed information for emergency services,” she added.
“This can only be to the benefit of those involved in road traffic accidents across Scotland.”