No longer will you have to wonder whether the light will turn red before you can make it through the intersection – BMW is sure of that.
Introduced in a press release from BMW July 27 is the marque’s new compatibility with EnLighten App. Created by Connected Signals, this app shows data from traffic signals in real time on the car’s display screen. It was designed to completely alter the city driving experience, from having a countdown of how much time is left before the light changes, to including a chime to notify you that it’s about to change.
Say you need to go left at an intersection on a six or eight lane road. In many instances, there will be multiple lights at that intersection, some specific to left turns, some to all traffic. f you activate your turn signal while using the app and are stopped at such an intersection, the app will adjust and only show you the status of the relevant signal.
However, there are a few barriers to using this technology. First, it’s incredibly new, which means it’s still developing and growing. This can be seen in the fact that the app requires that the city you’re driving in has an integrated network of smart traffic signals. It is also currently only available through the Apple AppStore, and must be downloaded on your phone to be used in your car. But, it’s compatible with any BMW that has the BMW Apps option.
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If you don’t have a BMW compatible with this program, you can still download the app – and you can download it for free. However, the tech in the basic version is more basic, and doesn’t incorporate all of the features available for the BMW version.
Our advice? Find yourself a new 7-series and prepare to have more control over your time – both on the road and in your car.
(Source: BMW USA via MotorAuthority.com)
