14 DAY TRIAL // The number of vehicles that get stolen on a daily basis around the world is extremely high, despite the fact that most of said automobiles are generally fitted with various alarm systems and anti-theft technologies. And this is exactly the reason why General Motors and OnStar have teamed up and developed the Stolen Vehicle Slowdown technology, which delivers an enhanced level of security as it is capable of automatically reducing the engine's power, thus slowing down the vehicle.
First of all, let's see just how this new technology is supposed to work, according to the statement released by the two companies. Thus, once the vehicle has been reported stolen to law enforcement, the subscriber can call OnStar and request Stolen Vehicle Location Assistance. OnStar will confirm the subscriber has not opted out of the Stolen Vehicle Slowdown service and then will use real-time GPS technology to attempt to pinpoint the exact location of the stolen vehicle and provide this information to law enforcement to help them recover the vehicle.
When law enforcement agents have established a clear line of sight of the stolen vehicle, they may request OnStar to slow it down remotely. OnStar then sends a remote signal to the vehicle that interacts with the Powertrain system to reduce engine power which will slow the vehicle down gradually. Quite obviously, safeguards will be in place to ensure that the correct vehicle is slowed down.
"From its inception, the motivation behind OnStar has been the safety and security of our subscribers and others on the road," said Chet Huber, OnStar president. "The Stolen Vehicle Slowdown service will allow our subscribers added peace of mind by possibly preventing their vehicle from being used as an instrument of harm if it happens to be stolen."
Powered by OnStar's newest generation of hardware (Generation 8), GM will make Stolen Vehicle Slowdown available on nearly 1.7 million Model Year (MY) 2009 vehicles. GM's largest division, Chevrolet, will be leading the way, making up for more than 60 percent of the total vehicles equipped with this new technology.
"Chevrolet aims to provide customers with more than they expect, and services like Stolen Vehicle Slowdown continue to add even more value to Chevy cars and trucks," said Ed Peper, general manager, Chevrolet. "Stolen Vehicle Slowdown will not only benefit GM and Chevy customers, but virtually everyone on the road."
Of course, it remains to be seen just how effective the new technology will prove to be in real life, but if it's successful, it could actually reduce quite a lot (if not eliminate completely) the number of car thefts that occur around the world.
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