BMW was the first European manufacturer to offer a heads up display (anywhere outside a fighter aircraft) in 2004 when it became available in ConnectedDrive for the 5 Series. Initial displays only showed a car’s speed but now they deliver much more information, including navigation directions.
A Heads Up Display is offered for most BMW models these days and now displays information in full-color, which makes it quicker to grasp and differentiate different elements.
Research shows that it takes a second for a normal driver to read the speedometer or glance at a navigation display. While the driver is distracted, without his or her eyes on the road, the vehicle travels around 14 yards at 30 mph – and a lot can happen in that time.
With a heads up display, the time required by the driver to assimilate information is reduced 50 per cent, according to BMW, which makes for safer driving. The virtual image projected onto the windscreen hovers at eye level above the hood and is visible only to the driver. Research shows that this form of display is less tiring, as the eye does not have to constantly change focal points.—Paul Duchene
