Cars may soon refuse to start for drivers they don’t know, if technology currently being developed by a BMW research team comes to fruition. Engineers are working on a prototype 5 Series, that uses the latest bio-metric technology to identify the person behind the wheel. It can then match this to the vehicles data records to confirm if a driver is authorised to drive the vehicle. If a match is made the car will start, adjust the seats, steering, mirrors, in-car entertainment and even air-conditioning systems according to the drivers preferences.

BMW say the system is so quick, drivers will not even know it is happening and because it is based mainly on existing on-board technology, it should not be too costly to install. As well as its obvious security benefits, the designers say it could also be very useful to deter the unauthorised use of fleet vehicles.