OnStar Stolen Vehicle Slowdown Technology Wins Edison Award

OnStar, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Motors, has won the Edison Award for its Stolen Vehicle Slowdown system that can help reduce the risk of dangerous high-speed chases by remotely slowing a stoeln vehicle to idle speed.

When a vehicle has been reported stolen to law enforcement, the subscriber calls OnStar to request Stolen Vehicle Location Assistance be used to locate his or her vehicle. Once law enforcement officials have established a clear line of sight on 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 ignore throttle input causing the vehicle to gradually slow to an idle speed. During a slowdown, the driver has use of all the vehicle’s other systems (steering, brakes, etc.), so the vehicle can safely be pulled over to the side of the road.

Research indicates that 97 percent of OnStar subscribers surveyed want Stolen Vehicle Assistance capabilities on their cars and trucks. Since launch, this technology has been deployed 52 times.

The Edison Awards, a peer-review honor similar to the Oscars, is voted on by roughly 2,000 members of the not-for-profit Marketing Executives Networking Group (MENG), America’s top executives and academics. The awards symbolize the persistence and excellence personified by Thomas Alva Edison, inspiring America’s drive to remain in the forefront of innovation, creativity and ingenuity in the global economy. Edison Awards are judged on Marketplace Innovation, Marketplace Success, Technological Innovation, Market Structure Innovation, Societal Impact, and Design Innovation.

Credits: wilswong