To help drivers turn across roads where there is oncoming traffic, BMW has developed its new turn assist system. It uses a camera and three lasers to spot vehicles coming towards the car and can automatically apply the brakes to prevent the BMW moving into a potentially dangerous situation.
The system has been developed to recognise cars, trucks and even motorcycles at a range of up to 100 metres. It works when the car is moving at a speed of no more than 10km/h and releases the brakes after they have been applied in an emergency situation to restore full control to the driver.
BMW is currently developing the turning assist system on left-hand drive vehicles, but the same technology can be used for right-hand drive cars for use in Ireland. It only works when the driver turns on an indicator and works by detecting the white lines of a junction or turn in the road.
The system is also being developed to use communication systems between the car and other vehicles. This allows the car to "talk" to other traffic so the system knows where other vehicles are and can react accordingly.
BMW is showing off the turn assist system at Intersafe 2 this week in Wolfsburg, which is a leading technology forum. Rather than simply show off the system in a controlled environment, BMW will display turn assist on a real road to prove its usefulness.
There's no confirmation of when the turn assist system will be offered on BMW road cars.