Protective apparatus in a vehicle with a high current and high-voltage components, in particular a hybrid or electric vehicle , wherein a storage battery , which is connected to an electric motor/generator unit via a HV link circuit , is provided as a store of electrical energy in the vehicle and a HV link circuit is provided as means for converting and distributing the electrical energy within the vehicle , wherein an isolating apparatus is provided to physically isolate the storage battery from the HV link circuit , by way of which isolating apparatus the HV link circuit is connected to a discharge apparatus (R e ) in the form of a discharge resistor that is resistant to high currents, wherein a crash control device is provided to coordinate a staged disconnection of the electrical energy supply, wherein a signal (S) is fed from sensors to the crash control device for the purpose of crash identification and is processed there for the purpose of subsequent control of the subprocesses, after which, in a preparation step before the physical isolation of the storage battery from the HV link circuit and in particular an inverter as a constituent part of the HV link circuit , energy stored in the magnetic field of the motor/generator unit is transmitted to the storage battery by the HV intermediate circuit , wherein, directly after the storage battery has been disconnected, the discharge resistor (R e ) is connected as decidedly conductive contact between a positive potential (HV+) and a negative potential (HV-) of the HV link circuit , and wherein the strict isolation of these two successive process steps is ensured by the crash control device . a storage battery , which is connected to an electric motor/generator unit via a HV link circuit , is provided as a store of electrical energy in the vehicle and a HV link circuit is provided as means for converting and distributing the electrical energy within the vehicle , wherein an isolating apparatus is provided to physically isolate the storage battery from the HV link circuit , by way of which isolating apparatus the HV link circuit is connected to a discharge apparatus (R e ) in the form of a discharge resistor that is resistant to high currents, wherein a crash control device is provided to coordinate a staged disconnection of the electrical energy supply, wherein a signal (S) is fed from sensors to the crash control device for the purpose of crash identification and is processed there for the purpose of subsequent control of the subprocesses, after which, in a preparation step before the physical isolation of the storage battery from the HV link circuit and in particular an inverter as a constituent part of the HV link circuit , energy stored in the magnetic field of the motor/generator unit is transmitted to the storage battery by the HV intermediate circuit , wherein, directly after the storage battery has been disconnected, the discharge resistor (R e ) is connected as decidedly conductive contact between a positive potential (HV+) and a negative potential (HV-) of the HV link circuit , and wherein the strict isolation of these two successive process steps is ensured by the crash control device . <EOS>