Mercedes-Benz to equip cars with QR codes for rescuers

Mercedes-Benz plans to provide new cars with stickers with a QR code in two places. In the event of an accident, these must provide rescuers with information about the type of vehicle via an app so that, for example, the driver can be rescued in a safe manner.

In Germany, police, fire brigade and ambulance personnel use so-called ADAC rescue cards. It contains information about the construction of a certain type of car. If, for example, a crashed car has to be cut open to free the driver and any passengers, the emergency services will know, for example, where the electrical cables run or where the airbags and fuel tank are placed. For hybrid and electric cars, information about the batteries and the high voltage connections can also be found in the rescue cards. This information can save valuable time in conducting a rescue operation safely, but the cards are not always present in the car or can not always be found by the rescuers.

According to Mercedes can improve the rescue card system by sticking stickers with QR codes in its vehicles. The codes are placed on the b-pillar and on the inside of the fuel filler flap. By scanning the QR code with a smartphone or tablet, a rescuer can quickly request all data from the car in question via an associated application.

The German car manufacturer states that its QR implementation for rescue cards has several advantages. For example, a care provider can request the desired information in a short time without having to determine which car type it is, while car manufacturers can continue to update the information online. Moreover, existing vehicles can also easily be provided with the stickers. Mercedes-Benz has indicated that it will not file any patents on its system, allowing other automakers to implement it. The German car manufacturer wants to provide all its new vehicles with the two QR code stickers as standard this year.