Safety in traffic: Motorway emergency call boxes are being put to the test

There are still around 17,000 emergency call boxes on German motorways - but fewer and fewer people are using them. Do you still need the system?

Emergency call boxes on motorways are being used less and less. (Archive image) Photo: Oliver Dietze/Oliver Dietze/dpa/dpa

Berlin. The emergency call boxes on German motorways are being used less and less due to the widespread use of mobile phones. That is why Autobahn GmbH is examining whether the current emergency call system should be retained in its current form. This is reported by the “Rheinische Post”, citing the Federal Ministry of Transport.

“The number of emergency calls via the system is declining sharply,” said State Secretary Christian Hirte in an answer to a parliamentary question. Due to the spread of mobile communications, “emergency telephones are hardly ever used anymore”. The aim is therefore to reduce costs and at the same time maintain the level of traffic safety.

A spokesman for Autobahn GmbH confirmed the plans. In view of technical developments such as the introduction of the automatic emergency call system eCall and the widespread use of mobile phones, the continued existence of the current system is being examined.

According to Autobahn GmbH, there are still around 17,000 emergency call stations nationwide. The costs for operation, maintenance and repair as well as the emergency call center amounted to 4.5 million euros in 2025. In the previous year it was 8.2 million euros.

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