Assistance system and method for transferring data regarding an accident or a breakdown of a vehicle

An assistance system for a first vehicle, comprising:

• a detection unit for detecting at least one of accident or breakdown-related data from at least one device in the first vehicle;
• a camera unit for recording an environment around the first vehicle;
• a position determining unit for determining a current position of the first vehicle;
• an evaluation unit for evaluating the data detected by the detection unit and the current position of the first vehicle determined by the position determining unit;
• and
• a communication unit for issuing data by means of radio signals, wherein:
• the evaluation unit is configured to issue data concerning an area around the current position of the first vehicle to be avoided by other road users using the communication unit with aid of radio signals, wherein the data is issued automatically or following a triggering of an actuating unit in the first vehicle, and wherein the data is issued when the evaluation unit has determined, based on the evaluation of the data detected by the detection unit and the current position of the first vehicle, that the first vehicle has suffered an accident, or that the first vehicle has experienced a breakdown, so that unfettered access to the current position of the first vehicle can be provided for response and rescue units, and
• the evaluation unit has access to digital street data and is configured to, in response to a detection of at least one of accident or breakdown-related data by the detection unit, determine a size of the area around the current position of the first vehicle to be avoided by other road users, taking into account a severity of the accident, a type of breakdown or a hazard class of the first vehicle, and taking into account a type of street on which the first vehicle is currently located and a fraction of traffic lanes blocked by the accident or the breakdown of the first vehicle, the fraction of traffic lanes determined based at least in part on one or more images recorded by the camera unit.