That little OnStar button on the rearview mirror of your General Motors car can do a lot of things. This week, the system was used to end a high-speed chase for the first time.
The AP reports, "Police in California say General Motors' OnStar communications system stopped a dangerous high-speed chase and helped them capture a carjacking suspect by disabling a stolen sport utility vehicle." The Chevy Tahoe was stolen by a carjacker, who used a sawed-off shotgun to threaten the driver into giving up the car. "Police contacted OnStar, which found the Tahoe by using a global positioning system. Two officers spotted the SUV but the driver sped off. That's when OnStar operators sent a signal that slowed the Tahoe to a halt."
It took 16 minutes for OnStar to locate and disable the car, but since OnStar was able to track the vehicle, police did not have to pursue it closely and start a potentially-dangerous high-speed chase. The thief was captured on foot.
Kicking Tires notes, "Last year, 334 people were killed around the country in police pursuits, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. OnStar's vehicle-disabling service is now available on 18 of 30 vehicles for the 2010 model year, and the company hopes to have it standard throughout [GM's] lineup within the next several years."
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