Driver assistance systems have become a boon for everyone. They take the stress away to a certain extent and they are more or less error-free. The park assistance was one of the first semi-autonomous assistance systems which we saw in India. Commonly found in luxury cars, parking assist can help you squeeze your car in a tight spot with almost no input. BMW has gone a step further and introduced reverse parking assistance which is somewhat similar in its working. Let’s take a look at how it works.
Reverse parking assist: what is it?
The reverse parking assist helps you to reverse your car out of a spot. The system works in a way that it reverses in the same way it entered the parking spot. The car tracks the last 50 meters of distance before parking and memorizes the route. The system also requires the car to be under the speed of 36km/hr to track the path.
This system would be particularly useful for those who parked in a tricky spot and then might struggle to reverse out of it. One thing to note is also the fact that one should leave a space of 30cm all around the car to safely manoeuvre it.
To use the system, press the park assist button near the gear lever and park the car. After parking the car, press the reverse assistant button on the screen. Now all you have to do is slot the gear into reverse. You will have to control the brake and accelerator while the car will steer you automatically out of the spot. After reaching the end of the route, the system will deactivate and the screen will inform you that you have reached the end. However, one should keep in mind that the reverse assistant should not be used carelessly and no car manufacturer recommends you to leave the system on its own with no control.
The reversing assistant uses the front and rear parking sensors coupled with the reverse parking camera. BMW’s reverse parking assistant is found in many newer BMWs like the 3 series limousine, standard 3 series and the 2 series gran coupe.