Depending on the type and severity of an accident, various measures are taken to prevent further damage being caused following an accident and to assist with the task of rescuing the occupants: the engine can be turned off automatically and the fuel supply cut off. The hazard warning lights and emergency interior lights are automatically activated, and the side windows are partially lowered if they were previously fully closed.
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 wing and door can speed up rescue work by allowing the doors to be opened more easily after a frontal collision. Cutting points are marked on the front and rear windscreen to guide rescuers if they need to cut through the A and C-pillar. To complete its comprehensive safety philosophy, Mercedes-Benz has also developed multilingual rescue guides (accessible worldwide on the internet) to provide additional information for rescue services.