The Auto Writer

One of the meetings I had at this year’s NAIAS was a breakfast hosted by OnStar, GM’s in-vehicle safety, security and communication services system. Plenty of information was shared about OnStar which recently released its eighth generation software update.

Mostly everyone knows that OnStar provides emergency assistance for drivers, but I learned that the system also aids people who aren’t in the vehicle. For example, if a driver with an OnStar equipped vehicle witnesses an accident, they can notify OnStar who will, in turn, notify local EMS services as well as the police.

Taking OnStar’s capabilities one step further, my attention was piqued when I learned that OnStar signed an agreement in 2007 with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to provide geographically targed AMBER alerts messages to OnStar subscribers.

As one possible example, if you are driving on I-40 near Raleigh and an AMBER alert for a missing child has been given, OnStar will be notified and be in a position to relay that alert to subscribers when they call in. Drivers are given the option to learn more about the abducted child, details which can help save a child’s life.

For more information about NCMEC, call its toll-free, 24-hour hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST or visit its web site at www.missingkids.com.