BMW To Integrate Traffic-Light Timing Technology Into Vehicle Dashboards For Safety

BMW drivers have already been privy to the superpower of traffic-light prediction for a while. The company launched the EnLighten app, created by Connected Signals, for iOS, offering BMW drivers in Oregon and Utah access to traffic-light timing information so they could monitor speeds as they approach traffic lights.

Now, BMW is incorporating the technology right into the dashboard of the vehicle, so BMW drivers with iOS devices will be able to see traffic signal data on the vehicle’s display in real time. The EnLighten app can change the way people drive by assisting them with anticipating traffic signal changes — and as a result increasing safety and saving fuel by avoiding unnecessary acceleration.

How it works

The EnLighten app displays the current status of an upcoming traffic light in real time and then provides a countdown to when the signal will change.Then, based on the vehicle’s current position and speed, the app offers a recommendation about whether or not you should stop at the upcoming traffic light or keep going. The app will also sound an alert if the upcoming signal is about to change as the car is about to go through it.

If a BMW approaches an intersection where there is a dedicated traffic turn signal, by putting on the car’s directional signal, the app understands that the light-timing information is irrelevant, but also provides timing data for the turn signal.

The EnLighten app works in cities that have an integrated network of smart traffic signals. So far, these cities are Portland and Eugene, OR and Salt Lake City, UT, but more connected cities are coming, according to BMW.

The EnLighten app integration will work with any BMW that has the “BMW Apps” option if the app is running on a connected Apple iPhone.

When the EnLighten App is downloaded to the iOS device, it will automatically be compatible with any BMW that has the “Apps” option.

For more information, visit BMW.