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  • BMW left turn assistant uses lasers to help you avoid running people over

    by 
    Brian Heater
    Brian Heater
    05.16.2011

    BMW continues to fight the good fight: making sure you hit fewer people with its luxury vehicles. The German automaker is developing a vehicle warning system aimed at curbing collisions caused by drivers making left turns -- a leading cause of accidents and motorcycle fatalities. The system, which can be enabled for vehicles making left or U-turns while traveling under 10mph, detects movements using the vehicle's navigation system and a single camera. Once a left turn is recognized, three lasers are used to scan for hazards up to 328-feet away -- if one is detected, the car will automatically brake and throw up corresponding alerts for the driver. The company is set to show off the system as part of INTERSAFE 2, this week in Wolfsburg, Germany. In the meantime, the rest of us will have to rely on things like mirrors and looking over our shoulders.