Rapid assistance in many holiday countries

Munich. In Germany it takes an average ten to 15 minutes for the first
emergency vehicle to arrive - provided the emergency call is made immediately
after the accident and includes an accurate description of the location. Yet in
30 percent of all accidents, those involved don't know precisely where they
are. This applies particularly when they are on holiday, on a business trip or
on some remote road. BMW already responded to this ten years ago, since when it
has offered an emergency call function by which the vehicle automatically
alerts the BMW call centre and transmits its exact GPS location data. This
operates not just in Germany, but also in popular holiday destinations such as
Austria, Italy and, very soon, France and Switzerland as well. "Our experience
shows time and again that, especially on less frequented roads and also after
dark, for example, cars involved in an accident are often only spotted by other
road users by chance and therefore much too late. In cases like these in
particular, the automatic emergency call function with its accurate transfer of
position and vehicle data can be lifesaving," says Gerhard Kleeberger, head of
the Bavarian Red Cross emergency services centre in Straubing.

Apart from Germany, Austria, Italy and the United Kingdom - shortly to be
joined by France - the BMW emergency call function is also available in Canada,
the USA, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Australia. The emergency call is
triggered either automatically when the crash sensors are activated, or
manually by pressing a button. Either way, the car independently relays its
precise GPS location data along with key vehicle data. Assistance is then
summoned by the BMW staff who man the call centre around the clock. They make
telephone contact with the car's occupants, inform the nearest emergency
services according to the individual situation and, based on their
psychological training, provide reassurance to the passengers. In Italy too,
incidentally, German is used to communicate with BMW drivers from Germany, as
will be the case in France and Switzerland as well from November 2007.

About BMW ConnectedDrive
BMW combines individual online, assistance and service systems in the vehicle
under the overall concept of ConnectedDrive. These are services that can be
directly accessed using the navigation system or phone and they make a
significant contribution to the enhancement of comfort and safety. For example,
BMW Assist accesses the latest traffic information and provides a personal
information service, alongside the emergency call function. Any data requested
on restaurants, cinemas or hotels can be incorporated directly in the BMW
navigation system as a destination. Internet-based services such as calling up
share prices, weather reports and free parking spaces come under BMW Online.
The vehicle uses BMW TeleServices to contact a BMW Service Partner
automatically when it needs a service. Further information is available online
at www.bmw-connecteddrive.com.