As you all know, it takes a lot of hard work to buy a BMW. Also, it’s hard to enjoy one if you’re laid up in a hospital bed with your leg in traction. That’s why (most) people don’t do stupid things in their Bimmers. However, accidents do happen, no matter how careful you are. Luckily, BMW’s been hard at work on safety research since (at least) the early 1950s.
It started by placing the fuel tank of the 502 over its rear axle and keeping the length of the steering column nice and short.
The ’60s found the German automaker conducting some lovably old fashion-looking crash tests. BMW also used hardened steel to ensure the safety of the passengers in its vehicles’ cabins. It even began installing safety belts before they were mandated.
In 1979, BMW made brakes with ABS standard and reduced stopping distances in the process. A little over a decade later, the BMW Group Research and Innovation Center opened with the mission of discovering new standard security features.
The agility of active front-wheel steering came to the 5 Series in 2003. Further-reduced stopping distances were made possible by the implementation of BMW’s electro-mechanical braking system. Other technologies, such as the kind that can read traffic signals, and night vision, were eventually developed to minimize potential hazards.
Modern innovations include curve-following Adaptive LED Headlights and BMW’s Surround View Camera System. If only BMW could develop a way to keep terrible or inattentive drivers off the road. I’m sure there’s someone in Germany trying to figure that one out.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
