• BMW confirms the test car does not have self-driving capability
• Level 2 autonomous driving only for assisting
• Driver must always retain responsibility

A BMW iX crashed into 3 vehicles, killing 1 and injuring 9 other people in a small town of Germany.

According to the local police, they stated that the crash vehicle was an autonomous electric test car, whether it was steered by the 43-year-old (driver) or not is the subject of investigation.

Nonetheless, BMW confirmed that the test car involved in the accident did not have any self-driving capabilities. What's unconfirmed is whether the collision happened during BMW's testing.

With that being said, the wording "electric test vehicle" and "autonomous driving" was plastered around the BMW iX so this is something to ponder on while we wait for the outcome of the investigation. 

The Munich automaker stated that the BMW iX has a Level 2 driving assistance system (Level 2 autonomous driving), which is already incorporated in production vehicles today and can also support the driver on demand.

Also read: Level 2 autonomous driving brings the Proton X50 on the same page as a Tesla

During a bend, the BMW iX had swerved out of its lane brushing an oncoming Citroen, which hit a Mercedes-Benz van head-on, resulting in the death of its passenger. The Citroen on the other hand had lost control, crashed into another vehicle, which caused it to burst into flames.

BMW added that Level 2 autonomous driving merely supports the driver on demand, it does not provide self-driving capabilities and thus the driver must always be aware and retain responsibility.

However, Level 2 autonomous driving is part of Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS), which are a set of driving aid features to assist the driver - as much as preventing a collision from happening. In this case, part of the iX's ADAS might have failed prior to the collision but it remains to be seen what was the real cause.

Also read: What is ADAS and why do we need them in our cars?

Level 2 autonomous driving is not new to Malaysians, the Perodua Myvi AV is the cheapest car in Malaysia to offer Level 2 autonomous driving - on par with the Ativa and even cars costing twice as much.

No matter what level driving assistance a car has, the driver should never take their eyes off the road.

Also read: Watch this self-driving Perodua Axia handle the busy roads of KL!