Accident assistance: The automotive industry gives highest priority to collaboration with rescue teams

Modern motor vehicles are equipped with electric powertrains and other highly innovative components. These advances help make the vehicles even safer and more efficient. However, the numerous electronic components pose new challenges for police and other first responders at motor-vehicle accident sites. With the continuous development of various vehicle technologies, in particular relating to the powertrain and vehicle body, it is thus increasingly important that fire brigades and rescue teams receive detailed information on the vehicle involved in the accident.

To this end the vehicle manufacturers have been providing standardized rescue data sheets in digital form for many years (here). Further information can be found in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) "Accident Assistance & Recovery After Accidents Involving Motor Vehicles with High-Voltage and 48V Systems" drawn up by the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) together with partners from industry, police, fire brigades and various associations. The present revised version contains recommendations for rescue teams at accidents involving passenger cars and light utility vehicles with electric and partially electric powertrains. The FAQs "Emergency Assistance & Recovery After Accidents Involving Motor Vehicles with High-Voltage and 48V Systems" are available here.

VDA President Hildegard Müller stressed: "When an accident occurs, speed is of the essence during rescue and recovery. Every hand movement must be executed precisely. For the automotive industry, working closely with the police and other first responders thus has the highest priority. The FAQs are an important instrument for supporting the rescue teams and giving them important recommendations for dealing with technically sophisticated motor vehicles involved in accidents. This is the only way to carry out technical rescue immediately and provide medical care to the affected individuals as quickly as possible. The FAQs are also an important document that can be used by all fire brigades and towing services for basic and further training.

The FAQs are issued by the interdisciplinary VDA Working Group "Rescue." The working group provides a platform for conveying open questions submitted by the fire brigades and rescue teams directly to the automakers. Besides the automotive industry (VDA, VDIK), its members include German fire brigades, the German Association of Emergency Physicians (BAND), the German Car Trust Agency (DAT) and the Association of Recovery and Towing Services.