[Jason]

World premiere: New BMW 5 Series passes first crash test using brake intervention.

May 26, 2010

Press Release

Munich. Up until now, verification of vehicle safety has been obtained by means of crash tests in which structural integrity and restraint systems were tested in a non-braked situation. However, thanks to modern electronics such as those also featured in the new BMW 5 Series and BMW 7 Series, protective systems that warn the driver in advance of an accident and prepare the driver and the vehicle for impact in the event of an unavoidable collision, are becoming more and more widely accepted.

Future testing procedures will have to make allowances for the effect of preventive protection systems. In a recent world premiere, the BMW 530d successfully passed a crash test involving brake intervention at the facility of the Deutscher Kraftfahrzeug-Überwachungs-Verein (DEKRA) in Neumünster near Hamburg.

Every motorist is familiar with the situation: The end of a tailback suddenly appears behind a motorway bend. If a motorist is inattentive or visibility is impaired, a rear-end collision is imminent. after all, this is the cause of around 40 percent of all motorway accidents involving injured persons.

In order to defuse this kind of hazardous situation, some premium segment vehicles such as the BMW 5 Series are already equipped with anticipatory assistance systems that help reduce the risk of such accidents. BMW’s successful upper mid-range model, which was just recently brought to market, features – combined with Active Cruise Control – an optional rear-end collision warning system incorporating a braking function that activates an alarm scenario in two stages.

In the event of a potential collision with the vehicle in front, the driver is first given a preliminary warning by means of an illuminated red vehicle symbol on the instrument panel and on the Head-up Display. At the same time, the braking system is prefilled and the minimum triggering level of the hydraulic brake assistant lowered. This ensures that in an emergency brake pressure is built up faster when the driver applies the brakes, therefore significantly reducing the stopping distance.

If the danger of collision is acutely imminent, the second stage of the collision warning commences. In situations demanding particularly rapid intervention by the driver, the system activates an acoustic signal in addition to the visual warning. Should the driver still not react to the request to apply the brakes, a time-limited delay procedure is activated: The car brakes for 1.2 seconds with reduced deceleration, whereby speed is already reduced before the driver can apply the pre-tensioned brakes.

Based on the information supplied by the radar sensor of the Active Cruise Control system (ACC Stop &Go) featured in the new BMW 5 Series, the system detects when a collision can no longer be avoided by the driver’s reaction. In this case, an automatically activated emergency brake application function ensures that collision speed is, nevertheless, significantly reduced.

Based on a conventional EuroNCAP test with the car approaching an offset obstacle at 64 km/h, a so-called offset crash, the vehicle used in the DEKRA test incorporating advanced brake intervention likewise initially accelerated to 64 km/h. However, immediately before impact the BMW 530d braked hard – as stipulated by the system – and collided with the offset block at a reduced speed of just 40 km/h.

Due to full brake application immediately prior to impact and the car’s pitching movement resulting from this, the vehicle changes its position, particularly when the front bumper hits the block. The vehicle collides with the obstacle in a slightly “lower” position than in the case of a crash occurring without prior application of the brakes.

Concerning the deceleration, occupants also assume a position further forward. More important, however: In the event of a crash incorporating prior brake application, the severity of impact is reduced considerably, thereby significantly lessening the strain on all occupants.

Previous testing facilities have not permitted verification of the effect of anticipatory occupant protection systems in crash tests. The demonstrative test implemented by BMW in collaboration with DEKRA is the first step in testing future pre-crash scenarios, as in the years ahead innovations in active safety will be found in an increasing number of vehicles, with BMW playing a leading role.


PHOTO:
The new BMW 5 Series in a crash, both times with an initial speed of 64 km/h: in the foreground, a vehicle that has been decelerated to 40 km/h before the collision. In the background, a vehicle without brake intervention.

[Evice]

Awesome.

[Frosty]

... anything that helps lessen the blow of an emminent collision is welcome, bravo!

as long as this technology is not used to then lessen the cars integrity to cut costs using the tech as crutch, unlikely as the equipment is costly ~Frost

[rob612]

whats scary is they were only going roughly 24.5 mph... most of us drive anywhere from 65-85mph daily. i'm glad technology is becoming more present to make crashes a little safer

[Alchem]

Originally Posted by rob612

whats scary is they were only going roughly 24.5 mph... most of us drive anywhere from 65-85mph daily. i'm glad technology is becoming more present to make crashes a little safer

At that speed no current tech is gonna help you much. Most non-fatal crashes occur below 45mph. Especially rear end collisions, which is what they are showing here. This tech will only help to reduce injury for non-fatal crashes.

[Oulixes]

Soon, the ultimate driving machine shall drive by itself and will protect self from other, nearly identical driving machines. There will be no humans involved, as they may attempt to switch off the ultimate protective systems, risking "unavoidable collisions."

[Imola.ZHP]

^ thats a little much...

I dig it, I've yet to be in a wreck of this type (knock on wood, leaving town for a 1200 mile trip in 2 hours), but I would bet that anyone that has would appreciate this technology...

[rob612]

Originally Posted by Alchem

At that speed no current tech is gonna help you much. Most non-fatal crashes occur below 45mph. Especially rear end collisions, which is what they are showing here. This tech will only help to reduce injury for non-fatal crashes.

i know its to reduce injury for non-fatal crashes... i'm just saying its scary that we drive faster than we should and glad that bmw safety is getting better

[pokerface]

so there's FOUR stages to this

1 - red vehicle warning in dash / HUD + brake precharged

2 - above + acoustic warning

3 - 1.2 seconds of braking (not sure if this stage is necessary?)

4 - full braking (and the car hopes for the best)

[illirep]

I worry about this system inadvertantly applying the brakes when it should not. Imagine going 70 mph on a high way and your car brakes hard out of nowhere. That would cause a very severe accident. Lets face it, no technology is perfect and there will be bugs in it.

[bavarianboar]

Originally Posted by pokerface

so there's FOUR stages to this

1 - red vehicle warning in dash / HUD + brake precharged

2 - above + acoustic warning

3 - 1.2 seconds of braking (not sure if this stage is necessary?)

4 - full braking (and the car hopes for the best)

That works better than just full braking even with ABS and Traction control. It is the mechanics of braking and tires, though I am not an expert with a PhD. in this area, this is what I learnt in school when I studied some Engineering Mechanics.

They recommend braking , letting go, and then braking hard, it avoid skids and it brings u a to a stop quicker than just by full braking. Counter intuitive, but I think I am correct there

I am thinking of an F30 already but it is hard to keep eyes off an F10. Another reason why BMW is the number 1 innovator.