Car Manufacturer News
BMW Announces App That Will Help Drivers Beat Lights
BMW, like most other automakers, knows that modern car shoppers are interested in technology that makes everyday life easier. It’s with that aim that it’s integrating the EnLighten App in vehicles. While the whole intent of making such technology available to drivers is to cut down on fuel consumption and increase road safety, the reality is that at least a fair amount of people will likely use it to beat lights.
Using the EnLighten App, which was developed by Connected Signals, drivers can see what the next traffic light will do. A countdown displays how long it will be before a light switches from green to yellow, or from red to green. It essentially takes the guesswork out of the situation. The idea is that people can stop racing toward lights that aren’t going to turn green anytime soon, which cuts down on idling and boosts fuel economy.
The app also has a tool that recommends whether a driver should stop for a yellow light or go through the intersection. It’s a cool concept, but humans will be humans. That means that a fair amount of people will use the tech to help them beat lights and get to their destination with fewer stops. Such driving would cut down on idling, but police not might smile on drivers speeding to get through a light that’s about to turn yellow.
Anyone with a vehicle that has BMW Apps, plus has downloaded the EnLighten App from the Apple AppStore, can start using the new technology. At the moment, not all cities have traffic signals that work with it. According to BMW, three cities that are tech savvy enough to be up with the times are Eugene and Portland, Oregon and Salt Lake City. More cities will be jumping on board, so if it’s not available in your area yet, that could change in the near future.
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