All new Renault and Dacia cars now come with QR codes on the windscreen and rear window to give emergency services key safety information.
Scanning the code reveals details such as where airbag cartridges are found (to avoid them being punctured during rescues), whether the seats slide, and how they can be moved if the contact switches are off.
Battery location and the safest places to cut the car body are also given.
The codes were first used in 2014 on Renault’s Zoe electric cars after concerns that high-powered electric cables might be cut during rescues.
The system is also used by Mercedes. However, there are no rules making it obligatory, a Renault spokesman said.
Another Renault safety innovation, patented for electric cars, is an oval trap of thin plastic, which allows firefighters to safely squirt water on the battery if it catches fire.
Batteries are often sealed away and can burn for two or three hours.
The plastic trap, which melts if the battery catches fire, usually means the blaze can be extinguished in under 10 minutes.
Related articles
France set to open its first electric car battery factory
France hits 100,000 electric car chargers - but will they be used?
Citroën to sell 1,000 more tiny cars some can drive without a licence
Income Tax in France 2023 (for 2022 income)*
Visa and residency cards for France*
