 | Eddie Walsh is the Sales Manager for Evans Motors and has worked there for 28-years. He resides in Girard with his wife Christina of 24 years and daughter Alexandria. Eddie has lived in S.E. KS all of his life and has built a good customer base by being fair and sharing empathy with them. For more information or to reach Eddie please call 620-724-6457 or visit www.evansmotors.net. |
Cars, Trucks, Vans & Automotive
2012-02-28 10:29:52
OnStar technology
Q: I am considering buying a car with Onstar. Actually, I like the idea of Onstar. However, several people have reacted negatively and advised against using the technology. Can you explain a little of how it works and give me a few things to help weigh out the advantages or disadvantages?
A: Originally developed as a safety feature and a way to locate and communicate with accident victims, OnStar now includes hands-free email checking, directory-style services, weather or stock quotes and much more.
Two of the most significant advantages include the emergency service and the GPS locator, which helps in the car’s recovery if the vehicle is stolen.
The emergency services are connected to various detectors on the vehicle, so that an operator/advisor connected to the service is notified if the airbag deploys or other trouble detected. The Advanced Automatic Crash Notification System (AACN), a combination of modules and sensors, measures the severity of the accident based on gravitational force, records the data, and transmits it to the advisor. An advisor then attempts to contact the driver over the system, calls emergency services and relays the location of the vehicle via the built-in GPS signal if the driver is unresponsive or unable to communicate.
The GPS feature can also track the car if it is ever stolen, making it much less appealing to thieves. Authorities can also use the technology to track or locate the vehicle, making recovery a possibility.
However, the feature that makes it most appealing also makes it unappealing to detractors. The service has been criticized for being too invasive. Critics note that the technology used to monitor an accident can also record whether the occupants wore seatbelts and how fast the driver was going. Many speculate this could be used to find the driver at fault and might affect issues like insurance premiums, denial of warranty repairs, and lawsuits against auto manufacturers for wrongdoing.
There will always be some that find this service too invasive, and others that find it helpful. Ultimately, it boils down to your comfort level with information gathering devices.
