OnStar to help stop car theft

Gerry Malloy

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

Washington, D.C.–Message to car thieves: if you're thinking about stealing a General Motors car or truck in the future, think again.

Doing so could be a one-way ride to jail, thanks to a new technology introduced here this week by GM's OnStar division.

The company is making OnStar standard, with one year's free service, in almost all its models for 2008. A basic subscription currently costs $24.95 a month, plus tax.

For 2009, the automaker will add a new feature called Stolen Vehicle Slowdown that literally takes the power away from thieves.

I got a first-hand demonstration of how the system works by feigning the theft of a new Chev Impala from the sprawling parking lot of RFK Stadium in the heart of D.C.

Trying to make my "escape" from the stadium, I accelerated hard off a corner on a circumferential road, only to feel the engine go limp under my foot as I hit about 80 km/h.

That unexpected sensation was accompanied by the pleasant female voice of an OnStar agent advising me that the vehicle was being automatically slowed down at the request of a pursuing law-enforcement agency and that I should pull safely over to the side of the road for "assistance."

There was no loss of power steering or brakes – nothing to impede me from coming to a safe, controlled stop. But engine speed dropped to idle, and a warning that power had been reduced popped up in a digital readout. The Impala gradually coasted down to a crawl.

The hazard warning flashers had been automatically activated as well, even before the engine power was cut. That lets pursuing police confirm that they have the right vehicle.

The sequence of events in such a recovery begins with the owner's report to OnStar and police that the vehicle has been stolen.

Then, with the owner's permission, an OnStar adviser works with police to get a fix on its position using the system's GPS (global positioning satellite) technology.

Officers are dispatched to pursue or intercept the stolen vehicle. Once it's in sight and identified by make, model and colour, the OnStar adviser can remotely activate the flashers for final confirmation.

The adviser gradually slows the vehicle down, once officers have determined it's safe to do so.

OnStar already includes stolen vehicle location assistance, providing the service 700 times a month, on average, across North America. The slowdown feature adds the ability to reduce the high-speed chases that often result when police attempt to apprehend a stolen vehicle.

According to Chet Huber, president of OnStar, more than 30,000 high-speed chases are conducted each year in the United States, one in four of which results in an injury – too often to innocent parties. And one in 100 has fatal results.

While parallel figures were unavailable for Canada, it's clear the GTA faces similar dangers. Sgt. John Johnston of Toronto Police attended an earlier demonstration of the system.

"We welcome any technology that gives us another method to prevent a dangerous situation and make our roads safer for the public," he said, emphasizing that the ability to disable a fleeing auto in a safe manner is key.

Huber noted that Stolen Vehicle Slowdown can also help rescue children unintentionally abducted during carjackings and the like.

John Walsh, host of the TV show America's Most Wanted, who also attended the demonstration, was particularly pleased with that prospect. His own son was abducted from a shopping mall and murdered at the age of 6.

Chief David Hiller, vice-president of the U.S.-based Fraternal Order of Police, praised the OnStar innovation and suggested it should also lock thieves in the car or truck.

The doors lock automatically on many GM products when the vehicle is in Drive and moving. They will remain locked when the vehicle is automatically slowed down unless the perpetrator manually unlocks them.

But the 30 seconds or more that a thief's panic might delay such action could be the deciding factor in making an arrest, Hiller said.

Although the capability is there to do much more, GM's Huber said the system will be limited to stopping stolen cars for now, and only with the owner's permission.

Some law-enforcement agencies use specially prepared "bait cars" to trap thieves in high-risk areas.

GM expects to install OnStar with Stolen Vehicle Slowdown on about 1.7 million vehicles for model year 2009 in the U.S. and Canada, turning them all into bait cars.

Buyers who don't want to pay the subscription to Slowdown can have it disabled at no cost.

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