QR Codes: The Way Of The Future When It Comes To Safety On The Road

By Cheryl Knight, contributing writer

In an effort to save time when lives are on the line, Mercedes-Benz Canada started using QR codes on it vehicles to supply rescue teams with important vehicle structural information. According to an Autosphere article, the information includes the location of vehicle components like the airbags, battery, and fuel tank. The data can greatly speed rescue procedures used during lifesaving procedures in an automobile accident.

Rescue Assist

Called “Rescue Assist,” emergency workers can use any smartphone to scan the code and quickly find the information they need. Free and easy to use, when scanned the device pulls up a Web page with structural information specific to the vehicle.

The technology has been fitted as standard on all new Mercedes-Benz cars since 2013, as well as vans and smart vehicles since 2014. Older vehicles can also be retrofitted with the technology. Daimler, owner of the Mercedes-Benz brand, is also waiving the right to the patent, allowing other automakers to use the QR codes with its vehicles.

According to a U.S. News Rankings & Reviews article, the QR codes are located on the fuel tank and on the B-pillar on the opposite side from the tank. The locations were chosen because seldom are both areas involved in an accident and are easily accessed from the outside of the vehicle.

According to a Daimler spokesperson, in a GMA Network article, “When every second counts: with a small yet effective innovation, Mercedes-Benz wants to make the rescue of accident victims safer and swifter. In future a QR code, which can be read by smartphones and tablets, placed on Mercedes-Benz cars, will provide a rescue map for every vehicle type, which can be shown on the device's display.”