Media Alert: BMW Group at the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles Conference

June 13 –16, 2011

National Harbor, MD

BMW will present its Integrated Safety Approach. This safety strategy enhances the availability of critical information before and after a crash and uses it in order to:

• First and foremost help avoid accidents through advanced active safety technologies which can enhance the driver´s ability to react in critical situations and, if necessary, intercede autonomously;
• Extend the potential of passive safety technologies should a collision occur;
• Save precious minutes during rescue and treatment thanks to ground-breaking technology that predict the risk of severe injury.

This holistic approach, based on real-world effectiveness, aims to enhanced vehicle occupant and road user protection by incorporating active safety, passive safety and post-crash technologies into one visionary concept - BMW INTEGRATED SAFETY.

As part of this Integrated Safety Concept BMW will be demonstrating and showcasing a number of current and future safety technologies including:

• Enhanced Automatic Collision Notification
• Active hazard braking technology to reduce the risk of contact with a car or pedestrian in urban centers

Key BMW Media Opportunities during 2011 ESV Conference

1.     Presentation of 2011 BMW X3 Accident Research Vehicle to the William Lehman Injury Research Center (WLIRC)

2.     Live Safety Demonstrations

3.     Interviews with senior BMW Group engineering executives as well as Jeffrey S. Augenstein MD, PhD, FACS – Professor of Surgery, WLIRC

Presentation of 2011 BMW X3 Accident Research Vehicle to the William Lehman Injury Research Center

BMW has collaborated with the William Lehman Injury Research Center (WLIRC) since 2001. For the last five years the WLIRC and BMW conducts real world accident research in the US. At the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles Conference, WLIRC director, Dr. Jeffrey Augenstein will receive the keys to a brand-new specially-marked BMW X3 in order to respond to the site of automobile collisions in the Miami area for the purposes of accident Investigation.

When: Monday, June 13 12:00pm

Where: BMW Stand – Enhanced Safety of Vehicles Conference

Live Safety Demonstrations

Live demonstrations will highlight current and future safety technologies in three key phases of an automobile collision:

• Pre-collision: future camera-based Collision Avoidance System enables the vehicle to:
  • Warn the driver of risks within his or her driving environment.
  • If necessary brake automatically to help avoid colliding with another car
  • Or Brake automatically to help avoid hitting a pedestrian
  • Automatically synch up the front seat belts in case that a collision is unavoidable.
• Post-collision: a call to the BMW Assist center simulating enhanced Automatic Collision Notification.

Experience the latest in BMW safety technology first hand. 

Where: Parking area at Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center
When: Tuesday, June 14

BMW enhanced Automatic Collision Notification.

Developed in cooperation with the William Lehman Injury Research Center this ground-breaking technology is available in all 2011 MY BMWs equipped with BMW AssistTM. 
In a severe collision not only will BMW Assist transmit the vehicle’s location to the emergency call center, it also provides an assessment of the risk of severe injury
to the driver or passengers, through a specially-developed algorithm, in order to better prepare first responders before they arrive on scene.  

This “Urgency Algorithm” helps first responders to make better decisions in that first critical “golden hour” after a collision. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the decision to take injured occupants to a trauma center rather than to a regular hospital if telematics suggest the risk of severe injury, can make a significant difference in treatment and recovery  

 “Knowing not only the precise location of a crash but also the potential for life threatening injuries immediately will propel emergency services to the scene armed with the necessary life-saving tools,” states Dr. Jeffrey S. Augenstein, director of the William Lehman Injury Research Center in Miami. “When fully implemented, a trauma system based on enhanced Automatic Collision Notification will save thousands of lives. BMW has taken a leadership position in this effort. BMW is due a tremendous amount of credit for spearheading this life-saving safety initiative.”

The vehicle accident simulation of will show how enhanced Automatic Collision Notification  works. All different types of crashes can be simulated.

Advanced BMW Motorcycle Technology

In 1989, BMW became the first manufacturer to adapt Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) technology from the automobile to the motorcycle.  Earlier this year BMW Motorrad USA announced that beginning in model year 2012 BMW will be the first manufacturer to include ABS as standard equipment on all motorcycles sold in the US.  The all-new BMW K1600GT takes the adaptation of proven automotive active safety technology to the motorcycle to new heights including:

• Adaptive Headlights
• Dynamic Traction Control
• Tire Pressure Monitor system.

As BMW Motorrad is always cutting-edge in motorcycle safety, the research continues with the BMW Motorrad Advanced Safety Concept (based upon the BMW K 1600 GT)  featuring all new systems such as Emergency Call or Collision Mitigation and even Vehicle 2 Vehicle Communication.

The BMW Motorrad Advanced Safety Concept will be on display at the BMW booth. 

Interviews:

A number of experts in the fields of BMW safety and accident/injury research will be available for interview:

• Klaus Kompass –Vice-president, Vehicle Safety – BMW Group
• Tom Baloga – Vice-president, Engineering (US) – BMW Group
• Jeffrey S. Augenstein MD, PhD, FACS
  Professor of Surgery, William Lehman Injury Research Center
• Jan Urbahn – Manager, Safety & Intelligent Traffic Systems – BMW of North America
• Peter Baur – Manager, Product Analysis – BMW of North America 

In order to schedule interviews, please contact:

Dave Buchko – BMW of North America Corporate Communications

201-307-3709 (office)

201-321-6857 (cell)

dave.buchko@bmwna.com

Conference Location:

Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center
201 Waterfront Street
National Harbor, MD 20745

Conference website:

http://www-esv.nhtsa.dot.gov/