Unconscious with no-one around after a car crash? In the future, help could be on its way already: new cars sold from 2015 will automatically alert the rescue services.

Reporter: Safer cars to save lives

Road safety. The EP wants to improve  the information given to drivers

and to equip new cars, by 2015, with  an automatic emergency call system

85 people per day continue to die  on the roads of the EU

Although in the last 10 years  the number killed on the roads

Member States would like to see  the figure reduced by half by 2020.

To do that, they're backing  onboard technology in vehicles.

So what could the cars of tomorrow  look like?

will be equipped with the technology  hidden behind this button.

It could save 2,500 lives per year  in the EU.

In case of accident, the car automatically  connects to the emergency services.

If one of the accident sensors  in the vehicle goes off,

the system connects automatically  to our assistance centre

The eCall system can work automatically,  but not necessarily.

pressing this button alerts the emergency  services and indicates the accident site.

The downside is that it will generate  a whole series of inappropriate calls.

So some people will use eCall  when they break down, for example.

Others will get the wrong button  or press eCall for other reasons.

So those inappropriate calls  will have to be managed.

Member States hope to limit  the cost of the equipment to 100 euros,

but specialists doubt it.  It could cost three times more.

Will the spread of this device have a real  impact on road safety? It's not certain.

The impact of eCall on road safety  will vary from country to country.

In Belgium, where the population density  is fairly high and so is traffic density,

there are very few accidents where  the driver is the only person involved

in an area which is not frequented at all.

But that's unlike other countries  like Finland or some Greek islands.

Vehicle safety has developed enormously  over the decades.

We're a long way from these pictures of  simulated accidents filmed in the 1960s.

They were testing the importance  of wearing seat belts

Onboard technology isn't the only route  for improving road safety.

The European legislator is also looking at  the information available to drivers.

A little test. What's the difference  between these two tyres?

'None,' you say. 'They're black and round.'

But from November 2012  the difference will be obvious.

Manufacturers will have to put  a European label on them.

It will make comparison easier.  Three criteria will be indicated.

The label includes the decibel level  emitted by the tyre when it's rolling.

Here you can find the level  of fuel consumption

that a tyre can produce over its lifetime.

you can see an indication of the grip  when driving on wet roads.

In wet weather the difference  in braking is 18 metres

Some manufacturers haven't waited  to be forced to inform consumers

and have already placed such labels  on their products.