This automated braking occurs without a prior warning stage, as a rapid response is needed to prevent the car from moving into the intersection and oncoming traffic.
The latest safety feature on view in a BMW prototype uses a navigation system, laser beams and a camera to help drivers make a left turn without hitting oncoming traffic.
The premiere of this “left turn assistant” took place today at a closed intersection in Wolfsburg, Germany as part of an “Intersafe 2” event, a European Union taxpayer subsidized program that is spending millions to develop interactive driver assistance systems which – it’s claimed – will further improve safety.
Left turn assistant is a complicated piece of engineering, which demonstrates the power of electronic sensors and software to do virtually anything. It also begs the question of how much safety via sophisticated devices is enough or too much, depending on your point of view.
It could have the unintended consequence of allowing drivers to pay less attention to what they are supposed to be doing thereby contributing to the growing epidemic of distracted driving enabled by automakers who are adding unheard levels of electronics to automobiles.
Safety advocates are aghast at the growing number of electronic systems that provide internet access, texting, e-mailing and cell phoning capabilities that potentially interfere with keeping your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.
The BMW left turn assistant automatically activates as soon as the car’s sensors detect that it is entering a left-turn lane by using the vehicle positioning function of the navigation system and a camera, comparable with standard cameras already in automotive use.
With the left turn assistant activated, three laser scanners map the area up to 100 meters in front of the car. The laser scanners detect not only cars and trucks, but also motorcycles, according to BMW. If the sensors find a vehicle approaching from the opposite direction as the car continues to move into the intersection, the left turn assistant activates automatic braking.
At the same time, a warning sound and symbols in the instrument cluster and “head-up display” notes the intervention.
This automated braking occurs without a prior warning stage, as a rapid response is needed to prevent the car from moving into the intersection and oncoming traffic. If the driver first had to react to a warning, the car would continue forward into the collision area and an accident would no longer be avoidable in BMW’s reasoning.
The BMW left turn assistant is designed to work at speeds of up to 10 km/h. As soon as the driver engages the brakes, the braking input triggered by the left turn assistant is disengaged and the car is “released” again to continue normal driving. The driver can override the left turn assistant – say to clear the way for an emergency vehicle – with a short blip of the accelerator.
(See also Electronic Devices Gain in Importance for New Vehicle Buyers, Department of Transportation Releases New “Faces of Distracted Driving” Video. Deadly DD Epidemic Continues, Cell Phones Prevail as Dominant U.S. Electronic Device, Distracted Driving Enabler Now Owned by 85% of Adults, DOT Secretary LaHood Blasts Distracted Driving Yet Again, OnStar Presidential Shakeup. Preuss Out. Marshall In)
