You can steal my car but you can’t run fast and far…
October 16, 2007 · Posted in Companies
This may be old news to some. Anyway, last week GM subsidiary OnStar announced that it has demonstrated a LBS technology that can slow down a stolen vehicle by limiting the fuel flow to the engine. According to the Onstar website, here’s how it works:
- Once the vehicle has been reported stolen to law enforcement, the subscriber calls OnStar to request Stolen Vehicle Location Assistance.
- OnStar uses real-time GPS technology to pinpoint the exact location of the stolen vehicle and provides this information to law enforcement to help them recover the vehicle.
- When law enforcement has established a clear line of sight of the stolen vehicle, they may request OnStar to slow it down remotely.
- Safeguards will be in place to ensure that the correct vehicle is slowed down.
- OnStar then sends a remote signal to the vehicle that interacts with the Powertrain system to limit fuel flow to the engine which slows the vehicle down gradually.
Is GM car safer now with this new Onstar feature? Or, should I be concern that a glitch in the system may slow down my car by mistake?
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