Agreed! I loved when twist top bottles became available. :beer Are you looking forward to self-driving cars? :wink:
:cornut: My Mother was born and raised in Edinburgh and her Dad, a real Highlander, was born and raised in Wick. There's plenty of us descendents over here in the colonies. Jason
Emergency brake assist (EBA) or Brake Assist (BA or BAS) is a generic term for an automobile braking technology that increases braking pressure in an emergency situation. The first application was developed jointly by Daimler-Benz and TRW/LucasVarity. Research conducted in 1992 at the Mercedes-Benz driving simulator in Berlin revealed that more than 90% of drivers fail to brake with enough force in emergency situations. By interpreting the speed and force with which the brake pedal is pushed, the system detects if the driver is trying to execute an emergency stop, and if the brake pedal is not fully applied, the system overrides and fully applies the brakes until the Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) takes over to stop the wheels locking up. Many drivers are not prepared for the relatively high efforts required for maximum braking, nor are they prepared for the "buzzing" feedback through the brake pedal during ABS operation. If an emergency develops, a slow reaction and less than maximum braking input could result in insufficient time or distance to stop before an accident occurs. EBA is designed to detect such "panic stops" and apply maximum braking effort within milliseconds. It interprets braking behaviour by assessing the rate that the brake pedal is activated. If the system identifies an emergency, it automatically initiates full braking faster than any driver can move their foot. Emergency stopping distances can be shortened, reducing the likelihood of accidents – especially the common "nose to tail" incident. An electronic system designed to recognise emergency braking operation and automatically enhance braking effort improves vehicle and occupant safety, and can reduce stopping distances by up to 70 ft (21 m) at 125 mph (201 km/h) Brake Assist detects circumstances in which emergency braking is required by measuring the speed with which the brake pedal is depressed. Some systems additionally take into account the rapidity of which the accelerator pedal is released, pre-tensioning the brakes when a "panic release" of the accelerator pedal is noted. When panic braking is detected, the Brake Assist system automatically develops maximum brake boost in order to mitigate a drivers tendency to brake without enough force. In doing so, Brake Assist has been shown to reduce stopping distance by a significant margin; up to 20% in some studies. Stolen from [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_brake_assist"]Wikipedia[/ame]
Sure would take the stress out of long trips and daily commutes. Set it to "twisty" and hang on. Could be fun and it would stay in ts lane. Jim
Man....have we all thread-jacked the OP on this one..or what? Thanks Nathan for being the VOR :wink: (Voice Of Reason....scary)
every one of you should try the brake assist feature i did as soon as i read the OM description of the brake assist feature it is an eye opening experience to see just how short your mini can stop from 100+ mph scott
On track I brake for all I am worth even without brake assist. :wink: My MINI does not have DSC so I use my brain not my cars. Most regular folks (non-enthusiasts) do not even know how to even use abs effectively. These nanny's are all well & good, but they do nothing to make most drivers any better. opcorn:
:cornut: As long as DSC has been thrown out there........I've discovered that on those Texas cloud burst days(1in/hr) of standing water on the road and poor visibility, I can set my cruise control with the engaged DSC and when hydroplaning occurs, the computer will disengage cruise control and briefly cut power until traction is regained and the car is again correctly oriented. This all occurs in a fraction of a second and before I've had time to, myself, react to the situation. Interesting safety feature. I'm sure that:cornut: Dave O. will tell us that Real Drivers don't need it though:lol::lol:. :cornut:Crashton had to educate me as to when to disengage DSC. When trying to go up an icy hill, DSC is one's worst enemy. Disengage it. Jason
***Warning nanny post below.....*** If driving for the conditions the nanny would not be needed. If you like I like it too, on your car Jason. DSC can help people, but is not replacement for driving skill or common sense. I once happened on an accident scene where a car was rolled over on a very challenging road. The driver looked at me with puppy dog eyes & said , but I had the DSC on:confused5:??? That driver was relying on the car to drive for them with a very poor result. DSC is an aide, but no substitute for driving skill & common sense. When I bought my MINI it was an option that cost $500 same as the LSD. I chose the slip instead of the nanny. Others my have spent the money on DSC. If I buy another MINI it will be nanny equipped, no more choices here. :frown2: At least there is still an off switch. :ihih:
I loved the brake assist when I first bought my '09. Then I found I relied too much on it and it hindered me sometimes waiting for it to release the brakes. When I traded the '09 in for the '06, I was initially sad to give up the assist. But I quickly found that I don't miss it at all.
You are confusing the Brake Assist with the Hill Assist. Brake Assist is a nanny that reads how hard you brake and if need be brakes harder if it thinks you are about to crash. Hill Assist holds the brake on for 2 seconds when starting from a stop on a hill with a manual transmission.