Oct 24, 2008

Stopping Thieves in Their Tracks

We’ve all seen high-speed chases on TV, and often, they can result in horrendous crashes that endanger innocent civilians. To combat this unfortunate trend, General Motors Corp. and OnStar have announced the launch of “stolen-vehicle slowdown” technology, the latest enhancement to their stolen-vehicle assistance service. The new technology will help law enforcement in the recovery of stolen vehicles while reducing fatalities and injuries from high-speed police chases.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 30,000 police chases occur each year, resulting in approximately 300 deaths. Using OnStar’s unique built-in technology to slow and stop runaway speeders during chases will assist law enforcement in making safe, effective traffic stops without endangering lives. Once a subscriber has reported a stolen vehicle, they can call OnStar and request stolen-vehicle assistance. The advisor will then use advanced Global Positioning Satellite technology to pinpoint the exact location of the vehicle and notify law enforcement. Once police have the stolen vehicle in sight, they can request for the advisor to send a signal that interacts with the vehicle’s engine control system, gradually slowing it down, aiding in a safe recovery. And apprehension of the bad guy, we hope.