It’s hardly news to say that cars are getting smarter. They’re fitted with miles of electric wiring and computers that make dizzying calculations about how the engine is performing and how the suspension is handling the road. Brighter minds in the auto industry are already working on vehicles that communicate with the traffic around them, and autonomous cars have made significant progress. These are the sorts of innovations conceived to drastically reduce driver error and vehicular collisions, and while neither of those technologies are quite there yet, BMW has taken a significant step forward with its City Collision Mitigation system.
Photo: BMW
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently conducted a test on cars with collision warning and automatic braking systems. The BMW X5, equipped with the City Collision Mitigation system, received a “superior” rating.
CCM is part of the Active Driving Assistant suite, which also includes Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Warning, and Pedestrian Protection. The Forward Collision Warning was also instrumental in securing the X5’s superior rating, as it provides a visual and audible alert that the driver is approaching a vehicle ahead too quickly. If after that warning, the driver fails to make any changes, City Collision Mitigation will intervene, automatically applying the brakes. CCM activates at speeds of 37 miles-per-hour or more.
The X5 is equipped with cameras and radars to facilitate the Active Driving Assistant systems. The executive vice president of the IIHS is on record saying, “The highest scoring systems are those that give both a warning about a possibility of a collision and then follow that up with automatic braking in the event that the driver doesn’t respond to the warning.” The Institute admits that automatic braking does not necessarily prevent a collision, but it still reduces the vehicle’s speed enough to lessen the severity of an collision and any injuries that might occur.
The 5 Series was also included in the IIHS collision prevention testing and also received a superior rating. If you have more questions about Active Driving Assistant, City Collision Mitigation, or anything else related to the X5 and BMW safety technology, Leith BMW will be happy to answer them. Reach out in the comments and call or visit us any day of the week.