AN end to dented bumpers and frayed tempers may be in sight. BMW has invented a car that parks itself, write Tom Robbins and Mike Leidig.

The vehicle can not only parallel park but can also find the requisite space. It will be demonstrated in Britain later this month.

“Parking is one of the things that people find particularly difficult — especially as cars get larger,” said Duncan Forrester, a BMW spokesman.

Dr Alfred Pruckner, the system’s inventor, gave a demonstration of a BMW fitted with it in a Munich street near the company’s headquarters.

To begin parking, the driver pressed a button to set the car looking for a space. Radar sensors mounted on both sides started to scan the sides of the road, looking for a suitable slot.

Once a space was found, the car beeped to alert the driver. He stopped, put the car into reverse and took his hands off the wheel. The onboard computer memorised its scan of the space so it could steer the car straight in. The driver simply had to control the accelerator. A parking distance sensor beeped to advise when to stop.

Nervous drivers should remember that while the system is almost foolproof while getting into the space, it does nothing to help you to get out of it.

BMW has yet to set a date for full production but says it is more than a year away. The system is one of several high-tech driving aides being developed by car manufacturers. Demand is likely to be huge — insurers estimate that parking scrapes cost about £150m a year.

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