Experts have defined five levels in the evolution of autonomous driving. Each level describes the extent to which a car takes over tasks and responsibilities from its driver, and how the car and driver interact. Here we explain the five levels of vehicle automation. The levels 0 to 5 are defined according to their relative extent of automation. Level 0, Automation”, is where the driver controls the car without any support from a driver assistance system. The tables turn, however, in level 5, where it’s the car that can drive without any human interaction. Level 3 “Highly Automated Driving”, level 4 “Fully Automated Driving” and level 5 “Full Automation” are still in the testing phase.
The driver assistance systems of level 1 are very common today, and used in all current BMW models. Some cars even offer steering and lane-keeping assistance, as well as remote-controlled parking all systems defined as level 2 “Partly Automated Driving (PAD)”. A good example is BMW’s “Personal CoPilot”, an industry-leading driver assistance system . Driver Assistance In fact, all BMW vehicles offer level one automation, and many even offer level two. The current BMW Personal CoPilot driver assistance systems support drivers on the road and help ensure additional safety and comfort.
Examples of this include the Active Cruise Control with Stop&Go function, which independently adjusts the distance to the car in front of you. And then there is the Collision and Pedestrian Warning with City Brake Activation, which prevents collisions via automatic braking. The safety-auditing institute Euro NCAP honoured this BMW feature as a ground-breaking innovation in the area of accident prevention and passenger protection by giving it the Euro NCAP Advanced Award. Partly Automated Driving