BMW - Improving Your Driving Safety

Jan 5
09:17

2012

Andrew Stratton

Andrew Stratton

  • Share this article on Facebook
  • Share this article on Twitter
  • Share this article on Linkedin

BMW vehicles include numerous features that improve comfort or enhance performance, but some of the most impressive features are designed for added safety. New technology can help you avoid a collision and may prevent an injury when you are in an accident.

mediaimage
BMW is one of the leading manufacturers of luxury vehicles,BMW - Improving Your Driving Safety Articles well known for creating some of the most beautiful cars in the world. These cars are not only beautiful, but also contain several unique design elements intended to improve performance and safety. Some of the newest developments from this company include hybrid cars that utilize electricity to greatly reduce fuel consumption. While these improvements in performance are impressive, additional improvements in driving safety should not be overlooked. BMW vehicles are equipped with several safety features that may not only prevent an accident, but also prevent injuries when an accident occurs.

One feature that may help you avoid an accident is the Head-Up Display. This display is designed to show important information, like your speed and navigation directions, in your line of sight while you are driving. The information appears beyond the windshield, allowing you to see it while you continue to watch the road ahead. This system can also display information from other safety systems in the vehicle, such as the Blind Spot Detection system. The information is displayed clearly, and the display brightness automatically adjusts to the light conditions outside. An accident can occur very quickly when you take your eyes off of the road, and this display eliminates some of the reasons that you would normally need to look down.

Another impressive safety feature is the Active Cruise Control. This system allows you to set your vehicle speed, much like the normal cruise control systems found on most standard vehicles. It differs from those normal systems by allowing you to also set the distance between your car and the vehicle in front of you. The active cruise control feature utilizes radars to detect the distance between your car and the car ahead. When your car travels too close to the car ahead, the system will slow your car down until you reach the set distance again. Once the set distance is reached, the system automatically increases your speed back to the cruising speed you have chosen. The benefit of this feature is that it allows you to maintain a safe distance from the car in front of you.

For nighttime driving, the Night Vision feature allows you to see potential obstructions in the roadway while they are still very far away. This system utilizes an infrared camera and displays possible hazards on your navigation system monitor. The infrared camera can capture items in the road up to 900 feet ahead. If you are approaching a living thing, the system can identify whether it is an animal or a person. It will also detect the direction in which the animal or person is moving as you approach it.

While many other features -- much like Blind Spot Detection and Adaptive Brake Lights -- are designed to prevent a collision, BMW has also included features to protect you if an accident does occur. Active Knee Protection and "Smart Airbags" are examples of this type of feature. The Knee Protection feature refers to a special airbag that protects your knees in a collision. The "Smart Airbags" will deploy differently depending on the severity of the collision. Many BMW vehicles also have improved structural features to help prevent passengers from being injured. The front and rear of the vehicles are designed to absorb most of the impact of a crash.