The Pedestrian Warning with City Brake Activation system from BMW is designed to alert the driver and urge them to take action if there is an immediate risk of colliding with a pedestrian. The camera at the rear-view mirror’s base is used to operate the system.
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The IIHS rates the BMW 3 Series as having excellent pedestrian protection.
This year, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, popularly known as the IIHS, conducted a new set of tests to determine which manufacturers have the greatest systems for protecting pedestrians. The automatic emergency braking systems, which are designed to slow down or possibly stop your automobile completely in the event that you hit a person, were the subject of the test. Along with the Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class, one of the top performers was the BMW 3 Series.
The scoring system divides the tested cars into four groups: superior, advanced, basic, and no credit. Systems in the Volvo S60, Nissan Maxima, Subaru Outback, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, and Nissan have received higher ratings. In track tests, they either avoided crashes or significantly slowed down. On the other end of the scale, the Ford Fusion, Hyundai Sonata, and Kia Optima did not receive any points because they consistently failed to slow down significantly.
There are two separate pedestrian crash prevention systems offered by the C-Class, 3 Series, and Chevrolet Malibu. On the C-Class, the optional system received a higher rating than the standard one, which received a lower one. Surprisingly, the 3 Series’ standard system received an outstanding grade while the more expensive optional system received an advanced one. The automatic emergency braking systems that many manufacturers have committed to implementing by 2022 are currently being upgraded to recognize pedestrians in addition to other cars.
The majority of pedestrian crash prevention systems scan the road for oncoming pedestrians using one or two forward-facing cameras installed near the rearview mirror and/or radar sensors in the front grille. Whether the observed items are pedestrians is determined by algorithms. Sometimes they can also identify animals or riders. When a collision is predicted by the software, it warns the driver and applies the brakes more quickly than a human could.
To prevent running into pedestrians on the road, these devices automatically apply the brakes after scanning the route ahead. Such mechanisms, when they function well, can avert disaster. According to IIHS President David Harkey, pedestrians are the most vulnerable road users, therefore it is positive that pedestrian accident prevention systems are standard in 12 of the 16 midsize cars we tested, including five out of six superior-rated systems.
The BMW pedestrian detection system performs really poorly.
To make their vehicles safer, auto-braking and pedestrian avoidance systems are being heavily invested in by automakers.
In a report that also examined Honda, Subaru, Toyota, Volvo, Chevrolet, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Nissan, and Mitsubishi, the German automaker was given special attention.
The US-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety examined a specific model from each of the manufacturers (IIHS). The IIHS set up a test with three different speeds and a phony pedestrian. Based on how well the vehicles were able to stop after spotting a “human” crossing the street, they graded the vehicles.
At speeds of 12, 25, and 37 mph, the luxury SUV—which has a starting price of PS28,210—failed the tests.
The optimal outcome is to completely avoid hitting a person, according to David Aylor, manager of Active Safety Testing at the IIHS.
According to the study, “Shifting a vehicle’s travel speed would provide someone on foot a significantly greater chance of surviving any injuries in a similar real-world contact with a passenger vehicle.”
The X1, which has BMW’s Daytime Pedestrian Detection technology, didn’t brake at all in the 37 mph parallel adult situation, according to the press statement that followed. In the other tests, the luxury SUV’s speed reductions were negligible to nonexistent.
According to the IIHS, only the 2019 Subaru Forester and 2019 Toyota RAV4 avoided colliding with the dummy in every test.
In order to urge automakers to equip more of their vehicles with automated emergency braking systems, Aylor stated, “we want to push them to integrate pedestrian detecting capabilities.”
In order to help consumers make informed decisions while looking for a new vehicle, we also aim to educate them about these technologies.
The camera-based automatic emergency braking system that is standard on the 2019 BMW X1 (it was an option in 2018) is primarily intended to warn the driver and apply the brakes in an emergency to prevent a collision with another vehicle. The 2019 BMW X1 can also alert the driver when a pedestrian is about to cross the street. The system may apply the brakes if the driver doesn’t react to the warning.
The X1’s speedometer indicates that the system’s highest threshold is 60 km/h, or 37.5 mph. Given that the IIHS test was conducted at exactly 37 mph and that BMW speedometers are conservatively set, it is possible that IIHS tested the system above the intended threshold.
bimmertaxi
Behind the front bumper is a fiberoptic wire and sensor. The hood will fly up (extremely expensive) or the system will shut off depending on speed if the sensor detects a deformation of the bumper (even if no damage is later visible).
Most likely, either the electrical connection is broken or shorted out, or the fiberoptic sensor is defective.
Hi there,
Wife just called to report that the bonnet has popped up because the vehicle’s pedestrian protection system engaged as she over a speed bump.
Has anyone on this site experienced this? and how much did the repair end up costing; my car is a 2012 640d; I’m in the UK.
Thanks for the response, but fixing these automobiles is never cheap. I’ll wait to see how they evaluate it as the car is currently at my garage.
All of these systems have a recognized “flaw.” The majority, in essence, rely on an optical sensor that spans the entire width of the front bumper area.
It will activate if the loads involved are sufficient, or if a simple bump compression occurs in the proper location. The rams are also single-use objects.
The lower bumper bottomed down on the ramp, as can be seen by some lights scraping beneath, and this was enough to activate the safety system. So I guess the reason was the Mrs. hitting the speed bump too quickly.
What does Mercedes mean by pedestrian protection?
The new E-Class comes standard with an active bonnet, reflecting Mercedes engineers’ continuous dedication to the safety of pedestrians. A set of springs lifts the back portion of the bonnet by 50 millimeters in the case of an accident, expanding the deformation zone by doing so in a matter of milliseconds. The driver can manually reset the system, which is reversible.
When developing Mercedes passenger automobiles, the safety of those road users who are most at danger has always been given first priority. For many years, Mercedes models have included pedestrian-protection features like smooth-surfaced bodies, energy-absorbing bumpers, flush-mounted door handles, laminated-glass windscreens, folding external mirrors, and recessed windscreen wipers. Accident prevention, however, continues to be a primary concern for the safety engineers. Therefore, features like Night View Assist, Cornering Light, and Brake Assist play vital roles. The rate of serious accidents involving collisions between pedestrians and Mercedes passenger cars has decreased by 13% as a result of Brake Assist being installed as standard.
Based on these high requirements, Mercedes-Benz added extra safety features for the new E-Class. The newly created, active bonnet, which increases the deformation area and lessens the possibility of pedestrian injury, is at the top of the list. Three impact sensors are included in the front half of this system as standard equipment, together with unique bonnet hinges that are pretensioned and restrained by strong springs. The sensors provide data to the electronic control unit when they detect a pedestrian, and the control unit immediately activates two solenoids in the hinges. These solenoids open the arresters, which causes the back portion of the hood to be raised by spring force by 50 millimeters. It everything happens in a split second.
The newly created technique is not only very quick, but it also has another important advantage: the active bonnet may be reversed. Mercedes consumers can return the bonnet to its original position and reactivate the mechanism themselves if it releases in another kind of collision, allowing them to keep driving.
In addition, Mercedes engineers raised the saloon’s outer outlines while lowering the engine, shock absorber towers, reservoirs, and control units to expand the deformation space between the bonnet and the assembly beneath it. The new E-Class, like all the newest Mercedes cars, has a flush, foam-filled spoiler lip on the front bumper that gives a pedestrian uniform support before a collision ever occurs.
What is a mechanism for protecting pedestrians?
The Pedestrian Protection Mechanism (PPS) is a system that helps to lessen the impact of a pedestrian running into an automobile in some frontal crashes.
The technology is engaged when the front sensors of the car react to certain frontal collisions with pedestrians.
The following things happen when PPS is turned on:
- The bonnet’s back portion is elevated.
- Volvo On Call* automatically sends out an alarm.
The sensors are made to recognize a collision with an item that resembles a human leg in terms of physical characteristics.
Acoustic pedestrian protection BMW – what is it?
The “engine sound” and pedestrian protection concern has been raised ever since the MINI E testing vehicles were released. Unquestionably, the sound of electric vehicles is a concern for pedestrian safety time and time again.
We are used to the sound of engines after years of using gasoline or diesel ones; it almost serves as a guide and a defense against the strong cars that surround us. The question of what automakers can do to increase pedestrian safety arises because almost noiseless driving automobiles are still relatively new and haven’t yet become widely used.
Legislators in certain nations have already taken action in response to the possible danger and are developing regulations for electric vehicles and artificial noise. Since no one wants to pose an unnecessarily high risk to pedestrians or other road users, the artificial noise will try to both warn onlookers and reassure the driver of the quiet automobiles.
Due to the absence of pertinent rules in Germany, electric vehicles like the BMW i3 are truly silent up to a certain speed. Only when the wind and road noise are louder as the speed increases do they become audible.
For safety concerns, those who find it difficult to get used to the stillness of electric cars can order a particular accessory from the list of options for the BMW i3 and i8.
Up to 30 km/h, the “Audible Pedestrian Protection” system operates while producing an audible sound that sounds like a turbine. The Audible Pedestrian Protection is always on for vehicle-start, however if silence is preferred, it can be turned off by pressing a button.
We anticipate that BMW will eventually give the choice of artificial noises not just for the models of the BMW I sub-brand but also for all vehicles with pure electric driving capabilities. Plug-in hybrid vehicles, such as the BMW X5 eDrive (xDrive40e) and the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer Hybrid, would be the next obvious choice.
BMW Active Guard: What is it?
Our selection of BMW vehicles includes a technology called Active Guard. By keeping an eye out for potential dangers, Active Guard helps drivers make quick decisions. To reduce stopping distances in an emergency, it preconditions the vehicle brakes and, in some cases (subject to speed, distance, and hazard characteristics), applies them.
Speak with your preferred BMW Approved Retailer to learn more about Active Guard and the models for which it is an option.
Please be aware that it is still the individual driver’s responsibility to respond to the traffic situation.