5 series Pedestrian Protection/Driver Assistance Package?

Hi everyone,
I am new here and am currently in the process of getting a car for my mother. We have narrowed it down to the 5 series and 3 series. I am more inclined to the 5 series as it seems we will be able to get a better deal on it based on the options we want (Park Distance Control, Navigation, etc.) It should be easier to find one that has these options as opposed to a 3 series.

My mom recently saw a video that demonstrated the 5 series using camera technology to monitor pedestrians and the car would warn the driver if a pedestrian was approaching. If the driver did not respond within a certain time, the vehicle would automatically stop to avoid collision.
The video can be found here:



I am not in favor of vehicles doing most of the driving for the driver, but I think that this is a good safety feature to have. Especially, in light of the fact that my mom is not the most attentive driver and she is going to be doing most of her parking in a VERY BUSY parking garage in West LA. I think it might be useful.

I have contacted our local dealer and they do not know what I am talking about. They said BMW has an optional active cruise control (which I am also interested in) that will set a vehicle distance between cars and maintain it via automatic reduction in speed/AUTOMATIC braking if the driver does not respond.

Does anyone know if this is an option available in the US? What package combination is it a part of? Would I be able to obtain it on a 528i or would it need an upgrade to the 550i?

Lastly, is there a way to have these features on a 3 series? I feel that the 3 series would be a more manageable car for her if it is possible. If anyone has these features on their car could you please tell me how you like it?

Sorry for the multitude of questions, I'm not exactly familiar with the way BMW packages their vehicles. Any response will be appreciated. I am in the Northern Orange County/Greater Los Angeles area so if you know of any dealer within the area that would be good to work with, I would also appreciate input on that as well.

Thanks so much in advance. _a_

Just bumping this in case anyone knows. Thanks

I hadn't heard of this, but I think I found the feature described in the video when I went to build a 550 sedan. Under the options tab, it's called "Night Vision with Pedestrian Detection." I didn't try building a 535 to see if it was an option there or not.

Good luck.

I believe this is the feature found on ACC - Active Cruise Control. This is a $2400 option that includes pre-collision warning and intervention if the camera picks up another vehicle stopped ahead of you as you approach it. I'm not sure how it detects pedestrians. For now, the technology is with another vehicle. Maybe the pedestrian part is still under development for future vehicles. The video looks like BMW R&D.

I just Got a new M sport 535i / premium package

what you are talking about its included in the driver assistant package DAP ( used to b in the prem package but not any more) DAP is different package now!!! I dont know how much I didnt have this DAP !! it comes with ACC, Camera, Night vision to sense the heat from moving person or something like this ? its all written at the manual of my car despite I dont have it

Hope I help GLTU

Originally Posted by icu

I just Got a new M sport 535i / premium package

what you are talking about its included in the driver assistant package DAP ( used to b in the prem package but not any more) DAP is different package now!!! I dont know how much I didnt have this DAP !! it comes with ACC, Camera, Night vision to sense the heat from moving person or something like this ? its all written at the manual of my car despite I dont have it

Hope I help GLTU

DAP only includes back up camera, side/top view camera, blind spot detection and park distance control. It's ACC that has the pre-collision feature that closely resembles the technology depicted in the OP's video. Maybe ACC combined with Night Vision may accomplish what the OP is looking for in terms of pedestrian protection. Any F10 owner with ACC and Night Vision can leave a comment here.

I have to say that as complex as the BMW controls etc seem to be and as you say your Mom is not The most attentive driver, this may be a very challenging undertaking for both you and your Mom. If she is set on a BMW perhaps the smaller engine would be the better choice. Maybe consider a Lexus, it is a more user friendly interface, though not by a lot.

I hope I have not offended you with this comment but I had a similar issue.

Thanks for the comments everyone. No offense taken Donm, I agree the controls are not very user friendly in all car brands these days (especially for those who are not so tech savy).

That being said, I think this is a great safety feature as is the collision prevention assist by Mercedes in the ML and B-class.


Getting a 5 series or any BMW with the Active cruise control is like finding a needle in a haystack. I live in LA, and not a single dealer in California has a 3, 5 or 7 series with this feature. Guess will need to special order.

I asked a rep at a dealer about this and he said the reason it is not so common in LA is due to the nature of the congested traffic. But I was under the impression that if someone set it to 70 mph, it would reduce the speed proportinally to what the surrounding traffic is going (i.e. traffic moving at 10-15 mph) and then pick it up when the traffic is more fluid (while maintaining that set distance of 200 feet for instance). Unless I'm misinterpreting this.

Also, you could just as easily use this on the surface streets and set it to 40, with the same results, I would imagine that it would also detect a sudden pedestrian who crossed your path.

Thanks in advance

Originally Posted by rls303

Thanks for the comments everyone. No offense taken Donm, I agree the controls are not very user friendly in all car brands these days (especially for those who are not so tech savy).

That being said, I think this is a great safety feature as is the collision prevention assist by Mercedes in the ML and B-class.


Getting a 5 series or any BMW with the Active cruise control is like finding a needle in a haystack. I live in LA, and not a single dealer in California has a 3, 5 or 7 series with this feature. Guess will need to special order.

I asked a rep at a dealer about this and he said the reason it is not so common in LA is due to the nature of the congested traffic. But I was under the impression that if someone set it to 70 mph, it would reduce the speed proportinally to what the surrounding traffic is going (i.e. traffic moving at 10-15 mph) and then pick it up when the traffic is more fluid (while maintaining that set distance of 200 feet for instance). Unless I'm misinterpreting this.

Also, you could just as easily use this on the surface streets and set it to 40, with the same results, I would imagine that it would also detect a sudden pedestrian who crossed your path.

Thanks in advance

The dealer folks also don't know that with ACC, you get the pre-collision system which works outside of ACC. In other words, you don't have to be engaged in ACC in order for the system to brake and intervene if needed. Of course, you wouldn't want to actively rely on it but it's designed to work if the driver was distracted and his/her reaction was delayed. Think of it as insurance. MB does a better job of marketing their version called "Distronic" However, both MB and BMW heavily advertise the cruise control portion "stop n go" of the technology which most buyers find it hard to justify the premium price for this feature. Such is the case with city driving. But if they market this feature more on the "pre-collision" function, the public may find it easier to justify the added cost. I can see this technology to be a standard in the near future. Just like how airbags were once a premium feature exclusive only to higher end luxury cars. Now every car has at least 4 airbags standard.

ACC - Active Cruise Control works well, but you can not just turn it on and keep it on. With entrance/exit ramps and tight turns in the road you may need to disable it and re-enable it. Also, you need to have a moving car in front of you for it to detect the other car at first. You can not turn it on when the traffic in front of you is stopped. You tell it how far back to be from the car in front of you, and in busy traffic you will often get people who want to take the gap between you and the next car. This may require you to hit the brakes. It is most useful on long trips out of the city. I drove from Charlottem NC to Atlanta, GA and while on the interstate only tuched the brakes when I hit exit/entrance ramps to change from 85 to 285. Once when passing an 18 wheeler the air turbulance made the car think that a car was in front of me and tried to slow me down - a bit of gas and no harm done. All this is done with ultra sonic sensors.

The Night Vision and Pedestrian Detection seems to work well. This uses a camera in the front grill. In my part of town there are a number of people that cross the streets in the dark of night in dark clothing. I do not want to contribute to the Darwin Awards in any way and do use the Night Vision when it is dark near home.

Originally Posted by jpmf10

ACC - Active Cruise Control works well, but you can not just turn it on and keep it on. With entrance/exit ramps and tight turns in the road you may need to disable it and re-enable it. Also, you need to have a moving car in front of you for it to detect the other car at first. You can not turn it on when the traffic in front of you is stopped. You tell it how far back to be from the car in front of you, and in busy traffic you will often get people who want to take the gap between you and the next car. This may require you to hit the brakes. It is most useful on long trips out of the city. I drove from Charlottem NC to Atlanta, GA and while on the interstate only tuched the brakes when I hit exit/entrance ramps to change from 85 to 285. Once when passing an 18 wheeler the air turbulance made the car think that a car was in front of me and tried to slow me down - a bit of gas and no harm done. All this is done with ultra sonic sensors.

The Night Vision and Pedestrian Detection seems to work well. This uses a camera in the front grill. In my part of town there are a number of people that cross the streets in the dark of night in dark clothing. I do not want to contribute to the Darwin Awards in any way and do use the Night Vision when it is dark near home.

Ok, so with ACC, say I am stopped in slow traffic, the other car can't be stationary for me to set the system, it actually has to be MOVING?

I was hoping for a system where I don't have to set and re-set it repeatedly but rather set it once with a set distance and then from there I would have my work cut out from me each time I drive and only change the mph when I go from a surface street to a freeway.

I suppose perhaps this feature is not really useful in preventing accidents in day to day driving.

It just seemed to me when Volvo, Mercedes and BMW advertise these, that it would be a must have for a parent when they get a car for their new driver child.

In any event, I think I'll have to see this feature in person, but then again, no dealer really seems to have this where I live. If it can't be used for day to day driving where I live then it will be of no use to me.

Thanks for the tip

My current non BMW has this option. You must be going at least 15MPH in order to engage it. It will go all the way down to 2MPH and come back up to predefined speed if possible, but once disengaged you have to up to 15MPH.

The key is to engage it before the traffic. Btw, when using it at slow speeds the braking can be quite abrupt, so be warned.

This is the Collision Warning system that comes with the Lane Departure Warning system in a UK spec car. On my UK F10 there is a button in the set of buttons below the light switches to activate this. For further info see: http://www.bmw.connecteddrive***91;/img] ...rticle/58.html

[looks like link is blocked, but if you google 'BMW Collision Warning System' it will come up as the first find]

You will need to check if its available in the US as not all options are available in every country.

More info: this is available on the new 3 series in the US as part of the Lane Deparure Warning System:

'With the new BMW 3 Series Sedan, BMW will become the first premium manufacturer to use such a camera for monitoring traffic on the road ahead. The image processing system continuously scans the scene on the road and gives an audible warning if it identifies a potential collision risk. If the driver draws too close to the vehicle in front, the system produces an acute audible warning and a visual signal appears in the instrument cluster or the optional Head-Up Display, if specified. At speeds upwards of 50 km/h (30 mph), the brake system is primed and the activation threshold of the hydraulic Brake Assist system is lowered. These measures, which are activated simultaneously with the visual and audible warnings, are designed to help the driver react effectively in an emergency. There is no automatic braking intervention. The sensitivity of the automatic Collision Warning system can be individually configured by the driver through several stages'