Creager says her cell phone was thrown from the car during the crash and she was drifting in and out of consciousness. ''Out of nowhere, there was a voice and she said help was on the way,'' says Creager. ''The advisor heard my son's cry for help and she knew exactly where we were and what kind of help to send.''
On some more recently developed cars (Buick Rainier, Chevrolet Malibu, Maxx, Trailblazer, and TrailBlazer EXT, and GMC Envoy, Envoy XUV, and Envoy XL) the crash notification system has been upgraded to alert OnStar even if the airbags don't deploy. The new system records the severity of the crash, the direction of impact force, velocity change, if an airbag was deployed and which one (i.e. frontal), and rollover if present, information that the advisor can pass along to the nearest emergency service.
In Canada alone, OnStar averages 2,000 calls a month for drivers looking for emergency help. Every month in Canada, OnStar also opens 1,800 locked doors remotely, tracks stolen cars, does remote diagnostics, and responds to 600 requests for roadside assistance.
Given all the advantages of crash notification and the ongoing consumer interest in safety and security, it's surprising that more companies are not providing their customers with such a service, that GM pretty much has the market to itself.
On some more recently developed cars (Buick Rainier, Chevrolet Malibu, Maxx, Trailblazer, and TrailBlazer EXT, and GMC Envoy, Envoy XUV, and Envoy XL) the crash notification system has been upgraded to alert OnStar even if the airbags don't deploy. The new system records the severity of the crash, the direction of impact force, velocity change, if an airbag was deployed and which one (i.e. frontal), and rollover if present, information that the advisor can pass along to the nearest emergency service.
In Canada alone, OnStar averages 2,000 calls a month for drivers looking for emergency help. Every month in Canada, OnStar also opens 1,800 locked doors remotely, tracks stolen cars, does remote diagnostics, and responds to 600 requests for roadside assistance.
Given all the advantages of crash notification and the ongoing consumer interest in safety and security, it's surprising that more companies are not providing their customers with such a service, that GM pretty much has the market to itself.