onstar’s stolen vehicle slowdown

GM’s OnStar communications manager, Christi Vazquez, highlights new product

General Motor’s OnStar division has engineered a fascinating technology that will help prevent stolen car chases from looking like the latest episode of “Cops” — replete with destroyed property, run-down street signs, frightened motorists and, most important, mortally injured pedestrians.

The anti-theft device is aptly titled the “Stolen Vehicle Slowdown.” Here’s how it works: When a GM vehicle owner files a police report for a stolen automobile, and law enforcement finds the vehicle, they can contact OnStar to safely strip the vehicle’s engine power from a remote location so that the thief can no longer accelerate. Without engine power, the stolen vehicle will come to an eventual stop safely, thereby preventing a police chase before it can get started. The technology will save lives, preserve property and likely lead to the drama-free apprehension of the suspect. There are over 30,000 police chases per year that tragically end in over 300 deaths, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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