BMW APPLAUDS NHTSA STABILITY CONTROL STUDY

Woodcliff Lake, NJ, September 29, 2004... The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently published a study which concluded that Electronic Stability Control (ESC) Systems offer immense safety benefits. As an industry leader in active safety advancements, BMW applauds NHTSA efforts to draw attention to this important technology. Among vehicles in the NHTSA study, those passenger cars equipped with ESC systems had 35 percent fewer single-vehicle crashes when compared to the same models sold in prior years without the technology. However, only 7.4 percent of the light vehicle fleet sold in 2003 was equipped with some form on ESC.

BMW is the industry leader in the advancement of active safety technology. As one of the companies to introduce Anti-lock Braking Systems to automobiles, it made ABS brakes standard on every BMW sold in the United States, beginning with the 1986 model year. BMW brought its first traction control system, known as Automatic Stability Control (ASC), to market in the late 1980s. Throughout the 1990s the system was enhanced to provide even greater stability control capability. Known as All Season Traction, this enhanced system was made standard in 1996 on every BMW sold in the U.S. All Season Traction continued to evolve to incorporate many additional features, such as Cornering Brake Control.

BMW introduced its most advanced Electronic Stability Control system, known as Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) in the 1990s and, beginning with the 2000 model year, made it standard on every BMW passenger car and light truck sold in the U.S.

"When we began installing these systems in our vehicles, we believed that they would be a major factor in making our cars safer for our customers. With each advancement we made we were more and more convinced. We are pleased that the NHTSA study confirms our beliefs; it also demonstrates BMW's leadership in active safety," stated Karl-Heinz Ziwica, Vice President of Engineering.