There's a big red SOS button in my car - I'm tempted to press it.

Don't! That's a button that, using the connection to your mobile phone, will automatically call the emergency services and tell them where you are and what has just happened to your car.

There's a fine for using it then?

Probably. Anyway, this technology should be fitted to all cars, as standard, from 2018 onwards thanks to new legislation voted for today by the European Parliament. Some cars already have it - Ford's SYNC system springs to mind - and it is life-saving technology. Because such 'eCall emergency devices' can tell the ambulance, police and fire brigade not only your location, but also the severity of the accident and the number of passengers on board, help can get to you more efficiently and better prepared, even if you're unconscious.

The European Parliament's negotiator and S&D Euro MP (S&D is a loose grouping of so-called Social and Democrat Euro MPs), Olga Sehnalova said: "The reduction of the number of deaths on European roads has always been a priority for the European Parliament, being mentioned on several occasions in many resolutions. Today's vote will help the EU meet this objective. The quicker response from the emergency services to accidents on roads across Europe could save about 2,500 lives in the EU every year. The severity of injuries will also be considerably reduced in tens of thousands of cases."

"We ensured that the vehicles equipped with 112 public eCall are not traceable and are not subject to constant tracking. In fact, the device will upgrade the data constantly and keep the minimum information required to handle the emergency calls."

S&D Group spokeswoman for the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, Evelyne Gebhardt added: "The S&D Group were the leading force in ensuring an EU-wide public eCall service based on the 112 emergency number, available free of charge to everyone. This represents a very important and concrete achievement for the safety of EU citizens."

The move is expected to add around £100 to the cost of a new car on average, but the parliament is also calling on mobile phone operators to increase the coverage and quality of their networks so that any and all such calls can get through.

Neil Briscoe - 29 Apr 2015