General Motors of Canada and OnStar have unveiled new technology that will stop, or rather slow down, thieves right in their tracks.
When a robber gets hold of a subscriber's vehicle, the Stolen Vehicle Slowdown service sends a signal to reduce engine power, slowing the vehicle down gradually.
Marc Comeau, vice president, sales, service and marketing at GM Canada, believes customers will appreciate this new service.
"From its inception, the motivation behind OnStar has been the safety and security of our customers and others on the road," he explained.
"Every service we add builds on this original promise. Stolen Vehicle Slowdown allows our customers added peace of mind by helping in the safe recovery of a stolen vehicle."
How it works
After reporting the vehicle stolen to the police, the person must contact OnStar to request Stolen Vehicle Location Assistance. OnStar then uses GPS technology to find the vehicle and shares the information with police. When the authorities see the stolen vehicle, they ask OnStar to slow it down remotely.
Security features
Safeguards have been put in place to make sure nobody gets harmed during the process.
To confirm that OnStar is slowing down the correct vehicle, its parking lights will flash. The police officer can then advise them when it is safe to slow the vehicle.
According to market research, 95 % of OnStar subscribers want the Stolen Vehicle Slowdown service for their cars and trucks. In fact, about 1,6 million GM Model Year 2009 vehicles are equipped with this new technology.
Stolen Vehicle Location Assistance was first offered in 1998, and now, in North America, about 700 subscribers use this service every month
photo:General Motors
When a robber gets hold of a subscriber's vehicle, the Stolen Vehicle Slowdown service sends a signal to reduce engine power, slowing the vehicle down gradually.
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Marc Comeau, vice president, sales, service and marketing at GM Canada, believes customers will appreciate this new service.
"From its inception, the motivation behind OnStar has been the safety and security of our customers and others on the road," he explained.
"Every service we add builds on this original promise. Stolen Vehicle Slowdown allows our customers added peace of mind by helping in the safe recovery of a stolen vehicle."
How it works
After reporting the vehicle stolen to the police, the person must contact OnStar to request Stolen Vehicle Location Assistance. OnStar then uses GPS technology to find the vehicle and shares the information with police. When the authorities see the stolen vehicle, they ask OnStar to slow it down remotely.
Security features
Safeguards have been put in place to make sure nobody gets harmed during the process.
To confirm that OnStar is slowing down the correct vehicle, its parking lights will flash. The police officer can then advise them when it is safe to slow the vehicle.
According to market research, 95 % of OnStar subscribers want the Stolen Vehicle Slowdown service for their cars and trucks. In fact, about 1,6 million GM Model Year 2009 vehicles are equipped with this new technology.
Stolen Vehicle Location Assistance was first offered in 1998, and now, in North America, about 700 subscribers use this service every month
photo:General Motors