A motorist has uncovered a secret button located on the dashboard of most modern BMW vehicles, with a warning that road users are not aware of the switch. Speaking on TikTok, BMW owner @c.viibe claimed that “nobody knows about” the button despite having an important safety feature.
Most modern vehicles are equipped with a range of Intelligent Safety Systems, such as Lane Keeping assist and cruise control. Owners can usually turn off or adjust these settings with BMW, making it easy for owners with a dedicated Intelligent Safety Button. Pressing the switch will load up safety features on the infotainment screen with road users able to activate and deactivate settings until they find their perfect combination.
Speaking on TikTok @c.viibez said: “This button here is super important and I only just realised. So many people don’t know what the button does. So it’s got three different settings and I see a lot of people driving like this with it on green, and it confuses me because whenever I do it the car is always doing stuff it doesn't need to do.”
“So first you got the ‘All On’ option, you’ve got ‘Individual’ and you got ‘All Off’. The ‘All On’ essentially means it’s got all the safety features on, making sure it's stopping for you, it’s got Lane Assist and all the other features. But I always have to take that off because I feel like the car starts doing too much.
“Individual’s usually what I stay on… I know when I'm leaving the lanes, I don’t need to get reminded. I don't need steering intervention. Cycling warning is good, just because you get some people creeping up on the side of me. But ‘All Off’. You have to hold that down for it to go all off for three seconds. So it means literally everything is deactivated.”
BMW has openly advertised the Intelligent Safety Button since 2017, meaning most modern vehicles will have the switch installed. BMW USA explained the button was located on the “centre dash” and allowed road users to “customise settings”.
They also admitted the button had a range of colour combinations, which is used to display which mode was currently in use.
BMW USA said: “The Intelligent Safety Button is located on the center dash. It allows you to activate, deactivate, and [customise] various driver assistance settings. When the Intelligent Safety Button is green, all driver assistance safety functions are currently active. If the Intelligent Safety Button is orange, at least one function is off or limited. By default, all safety systems are on each time the car is started.”
