What’s OnStar?

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OnStar is reportedly the most popular telematics service in North America, available since 1996 in General Motors (GM) vehicles. Telematics converges General Positioning Satellite (GPS), cellular broadband, and on-board electronics to provide emergency information and services to drivers. Initially conceived as a safety feature, a way to quickly help accident victims, OnStar has expanded to include hands-free email checking, directory-style services, weather or stock quotes and more.

OnStar-equipped cars have a small button panel located within easy reach of the driver; either on an overhead console, at the bottom of the rearview mirror, or on the dash. The buttons are color-coded: a red button for emergencies, a blue button to contact an OnStar advisor, and a cellular button for hands-free calling. The panel includes a built-in microphone and uses the car’s speaker system.

Emergency services are linked to various detectors in the vehicle, so OnStar receives instant notification if, for example, an airbag deploys. The Advanced Automatic Accident Notification (AACN) System, a combination of modules and sensors, measures the severity of the accident based on the gravitational force, records the data and transmits it to the OnStar advisor. An advisor tries to immediately communicate with the driver. The advisor can call the police or ambulance services to provide help if necessary, relaying the vehicle’s location via the built-in GPS signal if the driver does not respond.

The GPS feature can also be used to track the car if it’s ever stolen, making OnStar vehicles less attractive to thieves. If you lock your keys in the car, you can call OnStar, provide your account number and a personal identification number (PIN), and the system will send a cellular signal to the vehicle to unlock the doors. Roadside assistance is also included, with the ability to send a tow truck or locate someone nearby to change a flat or deliver a can of gasoline.

Vehicle diagnostics is another service included with OnStar. Integration into the vehicle system allows electrical control of the engine, brakes and other components. A monthly status report is transmitted to OnStar and forwarded to the owner if attention is required.

OnStar can be useful for finding something fast, like the nearest ATM, business, or restaurant. You can even get turn-by-turn driving directions. If that’s not enough, OnStar uses speech recognition and text-to-speech technologies to let you verbally surf the Web, listen to stock quotes or receive sports information. If you have a Verizon cell phone plan, the OnStar Cell button can share minutes with your cell phone plan.

OnStar requires a monthly service fee with several plans available to choose from. OnStar services are not activated unless a subscription plan is in place. By pressing the blue OnStar button, you can access a live or virtual menu to set up an account.

While OnStar has millions of satisfied customers, it has also been criticized for being too intrusive. The same systems that monitor an accident also record whether the seat belt was in place and how fast the driver was going. Critics speculate that this could be used to find the driver at fault and could also affect tangential issues like insurance premiums, disclaimed warranty repairs, and lawsuits against automakers for wrongdoing. OnStar’s privacy policy states that it shares information with subsidiaries, including GMAC, a vehicle insurance provider. Privacy concerns also extend to the onboard cell phone that could be used to spy on drivers.

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