BMW SAFETY INNOVATION TIMELINE

1999
Dual Stage Deployment for front airbags
The system deploys the front airbags depending on crash severity: As gentle as
possible, as powerful as necessary. Introduced in March1999 with the 5 and 7
Series.

1998
Navigation/Mayday System
First in the market to offer automated distress call system with navigation
system. A touch of a button transmits the location of the vehicle and
automatically opens up a direct line to a live person at BMW's Roadside
Assistance Group for emergency response.

1997
Head Protection System
Entirely concealed behind the headliner, above the front doors and within the
A-pillar, the Head Protection System offers increased head protection in side
impacts. When deployed, the Head Protection System inflates to become a
structural part of the car by forming a straight line diagonally across the
side window

Rear side airbags
In extension of ASAP (Advanced Side Airbag Protection) BMW offers optional side
impact protection for the rear passengers. Meanwhile available as an option on
all 5 and 7 Series and the new 3 Series sedans and coupes.

Battery safety terminal
The battery safety terminal (BST) will avoid short circuiting of the high
amperage starter circuit in an event of a collision. BST is actuated by the air
bag control unit and uses a pyrotechnical charge to separate the starter cable
from the battery in a crash.

1996
Driver and passenger side airbags
BMW's ASAP (Advanced Side Airbag Protection) system employs a large-area
inflatable bag in each front door. Front side airbags protect the thorax in
side impacts.
Side airbags are standard on all BMW.

1994
Dual Threshold Deployment of front airbags
First to offer an "intelligent" safety system, the dual-threshold deployment
system. When the safety belt is used, the airbag will not deploy at a lower
crash severity, but only at the higher crash severity, where airbags are more
effective.

Passenger seat occupancy recognition
A sensor in the passenger seat recognizes if the seat is occupied or not. If
the seat is not occupied, the airbag won't go off in the event of a collision,
thus saving the expense of unnecessary replacement.

Interlocking door anchoring system
In each of the four doors is a diagonal aluminum reinforcement bar. The rear
end of this bar is anchored to a hook-like member that, in the event of a
serious side impact, "grabs" the body pillar. Thus the front door is "hooked
into" the B-pillar, the rear door into the body's rear quarter - helping hold
the body side together as a unit for significantly increased strength. The
system is designed so that after most impacts, elastic "snap-back" of the
system releases the hooks and the doors can be opened.

1992
Front passenger airbag
The passenger's airbag is positioned in the top of the instrument panel. It
has dual gas generators and inflates to more than twice the volume of the
driver's airbag to provide restraint in the event of a frontal collision.

1990
Automatic front seat belt tensioners
This system automatically tightens the front belts in a collision, further
improving the restraint of occupants. It is integrated into the belt latches,
mounted to the inboard side of each front seat. Upon impact the pyrotechnic
charge fires (mechanical actuation in 3 Series models) and the mechanism pulls
the latch downward to tighten both the shoulder and lap belt portions directly.

1989
Seat integrated belt system (SBS)
By anchoring the entire belt system to the seat itself, SBS provides an
optimum, consistent belt run. The shoulder belt, being anchored in a
locking/clamping reel just behind the shoulder, is significantly shorter than
one anchored to the lower body or B-pillar, so there's less belt stretch when
the belt is restraining the occupant. Thus there is no need for a belt
tensioner.

1986
Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
BMW was the first manufacturer to offer ABS across the model line in 1986. No
matter how hard the driver brakes, the wheels do not lock up and skid.

Double ellipsoid headlights
Introduced in the BMW 735i, greater illumination provides a greater range of
viewing and thus adds safety to night driving.

1984
Driver's side front airbag
Introduced the driver's airbag in the BMW 7 Series. In the case of severe
frontal impact, the bag inflates in less than 40 milliseconds and helps prevent
the driver from being thrown against the steering wheel and dash. The airbag is
a supplement to the use of the safety belt, the primary restraint system in the
vehicle.

1978
Electronic anti-lock braking system
First to introduce the electronic anti-lock braking system in a production car,
specifically the BMW 7 Series.

1961
Safety belt
The safety belt was first instituted into the BMW 502.

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