BMW Traffic Jam Assistant puts self-driving car closer than you think

All the buzz surrounding autonomous, or self-driving cars usually includes a caveat that this technology is at least 10 years away from being ready for prime time, even though Audi, Google, and Lexus have already been racking up miles and showing such vehicles at media events. But BMW thinks that the ultimate self-driving machine is closer than you think.

While automakers freely acknowledge that the technology for self-driving cars is already here, they say that various legal and regulatory issues are what will keep them unavailable for years.

Truthfully, almost every new model introduction seems to include increasing pieces of the technology, from wider use of systems like lane keeping assistants to prevent you from wandering in traffic, to adaptive cruise control that can maintain pace with the ebb and flow of traffic.

With the introduction of the next generation X5 SUV coming this fall, BMW will bring self-driving cars one step closer to reality with their new Traffic Jam Assistant feature. Basically combining such environment-monitoring technologies into the whole self-driving enchilada, Traffic Jam Assistant will enable drivers to sit back in traffic and eat said enchilada while the car drives itself at speeds up to 25 mph.