New BMW Assistance Tech Showcased At 2014 CES

BMW is using the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to showcase its latest wave of driver assistance technologies, coming to a BMW near you soon. The new technology ranges from systems to simply make your life a little easier, to ones that could help prevent an accident--hopefully enhancing your BMW ownership experience a little longer.

As far as comfort and convenience are concerned, two main new features make an appearance. The first is one wev'e seen on some other vehicles already: Parking Assistant. As the name suggests, it can park your car entirely autonomously, with control over the gas and brake pedals, switching between forward and reverse gears, and handling the steering. A network of ultrasound sensors ensure the space is of sufficient size, and the car handles the controls to slot you in.

Traffic Jam Assistant is, if anything, even more useful. Sadly, it can't prevent you getting stuck in a jam, but could make your life more pleasant when you find yourself stuck in endless lines on the freeway. At speeds of up to 25 mph, the system's cameras detect traffic ahead, allowing the car to essentially operate autonomously in long lines. Not only will the car accelerate and decelerate itself, as many adaptive cruise control systems offer, but it handles steering too, keeping the car within its lane.