OnStar in Chevrolet Still Slowing Down Car Thieves
Nearly 250 times in the past five years, a signal to an On-Star equipped stolen vehicle has helped stop a car thief in the act as On-Star gradually and safely slows the vehicle to a stop avoiding a high-speed chase.
On-Star’s Stolen Vehicle Slowdown is one of three Stolen Vehicle Assistance tools OnStar offers subscribers. A Remote Ignition Block makes it impossible to start a stolen vehicle once the vehicle has been turned off, and a GPS location can be provided to authorities anytime a vehicle is confirmed stolen.
250 cases in the past five years is impressive, but more are expected as public safety officials everywhere become familiar with the services OnStar offers and are available at officer’s disposal. OnStar even resolved a fictional crime, as it played a big role in the plot of the film, "Horrible Bosses" starring Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day, and Jamie Foxx.
Since OnStar began in 1196, more than 59,000 stolen vehicles have been located using OnStar’s Stolen Vehicle Assistance services. Over the past year, Detroit, Houston, St. Louis, Chicago, and Los Angeles were the top metropolitan areas for Stolen Vehicle Assistance requests.
The Stolen Vehicle Slowdown feature was initiated in 2009. In its first request a California resident was carjacked at gunpoint. OnStar was able to safely slow the vehicle and the suspect was apprehended less than 16 minutes after OnStar was contacted, the Tahoe was safely recovered.
Other high profile Stolen Vehicle Slowdown cases include a Chevrolet Impala belonging to a State Senator being stolen from a parking lot. The Senator contacted OnStar who alerted the county sheriff who used OnStar GPS to find the Impala and once in sight OnStar slowed it down and disabled it so the suspect was able to be taken into custody.
And in Shreveport, Louisiana, the owner of a Chevy Silverado was robbed of his truck and money during a gunpoint home invasion. OnStar was able to slowdown the Silverado after helping authorities find it and the suspect refused to stop. However, the suspect then refused to surrender and threatened his own life, prompting officers to call in a negotiating team who used OnStar’s Hands-Free system to talk to the suspect for hours eventually convincing him to surrender before anyone was hurt.
The majority of vehicles at Westside Chevrolet come with OnStar equipped so you can have peace of mind knowing you are covered when the unthinkable happens. Visit us today at 23001 Katy Freeway in Katy, Texas or give us a call at 888-285-7051 today!
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Hitesh Makwana
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