Depending on the type and severity of an accident, various measures can be taken to prevent further damage being caused in the aftermath of an accident and assist with the task of rescuing the occupants: the engine can be turned off automatically and the fuel supply cut off. In order to prevent a follow-on accident, and to facilitate finding the accident vehicle, the hazard warning lights and emergency interior lights can be automatically activated, and the side windows can also be partially lowered if necessary.
The crash-responsive exit aid (in conjunction with the Memory package) facilitates exit from the vehicle in the event of an accident, thus protecting vehicle occupants from any injuries which might otherwise be sustained through rescue activities.
Various precautions have been taken to assist the work of the rescue team too. For example, the door locking mechanism can be released automatically after an accident. Crash joints between the wings and the doors can speed up rescue work by allowing the latter to be opened more easily after a frontal collision. To complete its comprehensive safety philosophy, Mercedes-Benz has also published multilingual rescue guidelines (accessible worldwide on the internet) as a source of information for rescue services.