Driver assistance systems have become ubiquitous, but most drivers prefer to deactivate most of them as soon as they start driving. BMW thinks its most advanced systems, available in the iX3 Neue Klasse, are less annoying and work with the driver instead of against them. However, this approach might prove a liability if people think it was the software that crashed the car instead of the driver overriding the system.
For years, regulators and carmakers have been rushing so-called active safety functions to the market, with the hope that they would improve traffic safety. You know, things like automatic emergency braking systems, lane departure warning, and such. However, instead of proving helpful, most of these systems are a nuisance, and hence the first thing drivers deactivate before starting a drive.
I certainly recognize myself in this description, with lane assist system deactivation already in my routine. The reason is that roads where I drive are often littered with potholes that you’d better avoid, and it’s annoying to wrestle with the steering wheel every time you want to go around them. I remember driving in a 2019 Mercedes-Benz A-Class whose lane assist system would brake briefly, but vigorously, every time I approached the center line to avoid a pothole.
I leave automatic emergency braking on because I envision a situation where I might brake too late. Nevertheless, I am constantly irritated by hard braking episodes that thrust me toward the windshield for no reason, even at low speeds in a traffic jam. I’d sure be annoyed if the car in front of me did the same, so I apologize in advance for these automatic brake checks.
Well, for those who think like me, there is now hope, thanks to BMW’s latest driver assistance systems, which debuted on the iX3. Unlike other carmakers, BMW appears to have listened to drivers’ grievances and designed the Neue Klasse active safety systems so that they don’t end up deactivated from the get-go.
New safety assist features debuted on the iX3There are several new safety assist features, starting with the Exit Warning, which prevents dooring accidents by delaying the door opening if a vehicle is approaching from behind. The car uses radar sensors to monitor the area around the parked vehicle. If a risk of a collision is detected, the electronic door lock delays the opening of the door until the danger has passed. To be fair, this is something that Tesla pioneered, with a similar system launched in 2024.
Photo: BMW
Besides that, BMW iX3’s safety assist package includes several evasive steering functions, depending on the situation. In addition to braking, the system can automatically steer around an obstacle, including vehicles and pedestrians coming from the side. In every case, the system keeps the vehicle within its lane if there’s sufficient space to maneuver.
However, the most interesting and the one I am most excited about is the new cooperative Lane Keeping Assistant. BMW calls its ADAS package “Symbiotic Drive” because it was designed to work with the driver instead of against them. The carmaker promises that the system “understands” the driver’s intentions through steering input and line of sight, so that assistance systems intervene only when necessary to prevent an imminent collision risk or the vehicle leaving the road.
An innovative Lane Keeping Assist system that’s less annoyingThe Lane Keeping Assist system, for instance, only provides warnings or steering interventions when the vehicle detects an unintended lane departure or an imminent collision. However, if the maneuver is initiated by the driver, such as when avoiding a pothole, the system does not normally intervene.
To determine if the driver initiated the maneuver, the car takes into account details such as turn signals, active steering input, or if the driver is performing a shoulder check. This is what makes BMW Symbiotic Drive different from other driver assistance systems, and this is also what can turn it into a liability. It’s something that Tesla has been fighting with for years, without being able to find the right balance.
Photo: BMW
In all automated systems, be they in cars, airplanes, or other vehicles, humans have the ultimate control. However, it’s up to the manufacturer to decide whether a human intervention triggers a deactivation of the automated system or only an adjustment.
BMW decided that the safety assist systems in the Neue Klasse vehicles should fall into the latter category. Rivian does the same with its cooperative driver assist system aptly called “Co-Steer,” which allows the driver to intervene without deactivating the system.
What can go wrong?In other cases, the automated systems are deactivated upon human intervention. Tesla is the prime example, with its FSD automated driver system disengaging when a steering or braking input is detected. This helps Tesla make a clear distinction between human driving and automated driving. BMW chose convenience, but it also opened Pandora’s box for future controversies.
When the driver of a Tesla Model 3 crashed into a house in Katy, Texas, in June, while driving on FSD, the investigation found that he had overridden the driver assistance system. Specifically, the driver fully depressed the accelerator pedal, causing FSD to disengage. The crash ended tragically, with a 76-year-old woman killed inside her house.
Many argued that the safety systems, FSD in this case, should’ve prevented the crash. Still, Tesla insisted that a human should always have the ultimate decision, not the car. However, because it could be proven that FSD wasn’t driving following the sudden acceleration, the driver was charged with manslaughter. It could be a lot harder for BMW to prove its systems weren’t to blame in a similar accident, especially if the car validated the driver’s intervention that caused the crash.
Hopefully, BMW will find the right balance, and its Symbiotic Drive system will be smart enough to not allow humans to crash, even if they insist. Especially as these innovative functions will later roll out to other models, including the BMW i3, BMW X5, and BMW 7 Series.