Bowditch Collision Center - J. Clyde

Rescue Assist by Mercedes-Benz Could be a Life Saver

When lives are on the line and time is not on your side at the scene of an accident, and first responders don't have a vehicle's structural information readily available, it can be crucial and deadly. To deal with this scenario that happens literally every day, even in cities throughout VA, Mercedes-Benz unveiled a new augmented reality app made specifically for first responders.

It's called, Rescue Assist. By utilizing either a tablet or a smartphone to show all of the critical systems on a wrecked vehicle, first responders can promptly determine the safest rescue plan possible.

At Bowditch Collision Center - J. Clyde, we want our customers to be safe, so this app from Mercedes-Benz surely caught our attention! Hopefully, first responders here in Newport News, VA will embrace the Rescue Assist app and use it to save lives.

Here's how it works: when first responders open up the app at the scene of an accident, the first thing they see is a 3D image of all of the systems within the vehicle, including all fuel lines, high-voltage systems in hybrids and EVs, batteries, and safety equipment—such as airbags. It is all displayed in detail for rescuers, which allows them to zoom in on any particular system, and rotate it to get a sharp and detailed image of the vehicle before proceeding safely. In short, it takes most of the guesswork out of cutting a car open, which saves time, and ultimately lives.

The app works without a WiFi or cellular signal, and is pre-loaded with data on every Mercedes passenger vehicle built post-1990; every Mercedes van from 1996-present, and every Smart car ever made. The app will be free on iOS and Android and available in 24 languages.

How do the first responders know if your vehicle has the app and how can they access your car's information after an accident? Well, it all comes down to two QRs conveniently located on the interior of the driver's side door post and the second one on the inside of the fuel door.  With just one scan, first responders can easily see where everything is, so that they can proceed correctly and act definitively during these stressful and critical times—where every seconds count.

Many Mercedes-Benz dealerships all over the country are now offering complimentary Rescue Assist installations on their vehicles. It's an unprecedented move, but if it saves lives, the manufacturer is in it to win it at all costs.

So, if you have a Mercedes-Benz, but have not yet purchased the Rescue Assist app, why not get one today? The next life this app saves might just be your own!

Sources: Time, US News & World Report and Mercedes-Benz