Wednesday, March 21, 2007

OnStar to Work with CDC on Emergency Response Standards

GM has announced that their OnStar service will work with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) on emergency response standards.

On Wednesday, the automaker was scheduled to announce a partnership with federal health officials to create guidelines, expected in 2008, for the use of real-time crash data to help emergency services provide a more targeted response to those injured in a car accident.

GM's OnStar system alerts emergency rescue officials when an air bag deploys or the vehicle is struck in a moderate to severe crash. Subscribers can also receive driving directions, roadside assistance and other services.

GM's OnStar service alerts emergency workers whenever a car's airbags are deployed. OnStar has GPS tracking so this will help emergency responders more accurately pinpoint accidents and increase response time.

OnStar is a $695 add-on to the price of a GM car. However, most GM cars are being equipped with OnStar. Saturn for one, offers OnStar in the basic package of all the 2007 model car. I should know, I just bought a 2007 Saturn Aura.

The only downside to OnStar is that it is not free. OnStar cost $16.95 a month, or $199 a year. But if you think of OnStar as emergency insurance, the $16.95 cost is worth it.

Go to money.cnn.com for more information.

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