In several of their 2024 models, you will find BMW’s updated Level 2 driver assistance system which now includes a new option called Active Lane Change.
This system lets drivers switch lanes simply by looking at a side mirror. The feature works like this: when driving in semi-autonomous mode, the car can suggest a lane change and, if the driver decides to go ahead with it, all they have to do is look at the corresponding side mirror. Doing so will activate the indicator (turn signal), and the vehicle will then steer itself into the adjacent lane.
For those who have tested their Level 2 system before you would know that lane changes were possible but previously the driver would have to flick the turn signal stalk to confirm a move. This new function takes things one step further, by allowing the driver to execute the lane change without using their hands.
We are not sure if a glance at the mirror will activate the land change or a decent stare at it but either way, this may just mean more BMW drivers using indicators, and I think that’s something we can all get behind 😉