Active lane-keeping assistant and traffic jam assistant assists the driver in keeping the vehicle in the center of the lane by initiating corrective steering interventions on your BMW.
It improves driving comfort, for example, on long stretches of highways, interstates and in traffic jams. This system is designed as a hands-on system, so the driver must always keep his or her hands on the steering wheel and control steering at all times.
To turn on Lane Assist feature, press the Lane Assist button on the left side of the steering wheel.
Lane markings and a steering wheel will appear in gray in the instrument cluster and on the head-up display, to indicate the system is on, and in standby mode.
Two lane markings detected
While driving, as soon as the system detects two lane markings, the steering wheel icon and lane markings will change to green.
No lane markings, following front car
If no lane markings are detected, and the system is instead using the car in front for tracking, the lines will appear in grey, while the steering wheel icon is colored in green.
No lane markings and no vehicle in front
At any time while driving if the system does not detect lane markings or a vehicle in front, the system will switch to standby and stop supporting the steering. This is indicated with grey lines and a gray steering wheel icon.
Removing hands while system is active
If at any time you remove your hands from the steering wheel while this function is active, after a few seconds the steering wheel icon turns yellow indicating a hands on request. A red take over request warning will follow. If the driver does not return his hands to the steering wheel at this point, the system stops supporting the steering and returns to standby.
How Active Lane-Keeping Assistant and Traffic Jam Assistant works
A multitude of radar sensors and a stereo camera monitor the vehicle environment and transmit signals to a control unit.
- A stereo camera responsible for lane and object recognition.
- A front radar sensor.
- And four side radar sensors for vehicle environment monitoring.
By evaluating these signals, the system is able to determine the optimum steering assistance at speeds of up to 130 miles per hour.
Two-lane dividing lines must be recognized by the system. And if speed is below 40 miles per hour, the system can also be used to recognize the vehicle driving in front.
The hands remain continuously on the steering wheel the whole time. If the driver removes their hands from the steering wheel, the warnings will appear yellow, indicating a hands on request, while red alerts you that the system will no longer support steering. Once the driver returns his hands to the steering wheel, the system is able to become active again.
Video Demonstration
Watch this short video to see how Active Lane Keeping Assistant works on BMW X3 in real traffic conditions.
