EU requires all new cars to be fitted with trackers from 2018

From 2018 all new cars sold in the EU will be required to be fitted with eCall tracking and listening devices.

The EU eCall system replaces the emergency assistance system that some car manufacturers offer which will place an emergency call to the provider if the airbags are deployed or automatically call for breakdown assistance either at the push of a button or when a serious fault is detected.

But of course the EU system goes much further. The tracker can be switched on at any time remotely, as can the in-car microphone that it will come fitted with. It will allow automatic vehicle tracking for road pricing, automated speeding fines, surveillance and eavesdropping.

Research by the Department for Transport found that the eCall system will not be beneficial for the UK and there is no clear business case for it in the UK or the EU.

In summary, while eCall might be beneficial in some countries, no clear business case has been established at a UK or a European level.

The only way to stop an EU mileage tax and protect your privacy is to vote to leave the EU tomorrow.