Free map can save your life The faster the rescue, the higher the chances of survival. According to ADAC accident research, the number of road fatalities in Europe could be reduced by up to 2,500 people per year if every car had a rescue map on board. And it would be very easy: You can download the map free of charge from ADAC. The rescue map summarizes information that shows firefighters in the event of a car accident where, for example, body reinforcements may make the use of rescue shears impossible. Airbag inflators must also not be activated when cutting open the car wreck. With the rescue map as a guide, trapped and injured passengers can be rescued more quickly. The rescue map is becoming increasingly important as modern cars are becoming more robust, especially in the passenger compartment area. This is necessary for protection in the event of a crash, but can delay rescue after an accident if valuable time is lost searching for suitable places to cut open the wreckage. The ADAC has determined that for vehicles built between 2005 and 2007, only 20 percent of rescue operations are successfully completed in less than 50 minutes. For cars built between 1990 and 1992, there were twice as many cases with rescue times under 50 minutes. If seriously injured people are taken to hospital within the first 60 minutes after the accident – the so-called "golden hour" – their chances of survival increase enormously. In addition to the rescue card, the club recommends the ADAC sticker, which can be placed on the windshield to indicate that a rescue card is inside the car. The sticker is available free of charge at ADAC offices. Over 90 percent of automobile manufacturers now offer the rescue card for their models. Companies also support the club in its efforts. For example, at the energy service provider RWE, around 8,000 company vehicles are now being equipped with rescue cards and information stickers, and all 40,000 employees can print the rescue cards in color at the office to place in their private vehicles. Shell has equipped 500 vehicles with the cards and stickers. In total, over half a million rescue cards and information stickers for windshields have been distributed in the first seven months of the campaign.