Do you mind? I'm Stealing Your Car.

October 29, 2009 / 6:10 p.m.
Posted by Alden Chiu,
University of Austin Student

Imagine you're on a routine trip to the grocery store: you park, shop and leave only to find your car and Spunky, the family Pomeranian, missing.

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)'s Uniform Crime Reports, a motor vehicle is stolen in the United States every 26.4 seconds. In addition, 1,095,769 motor vehicles were reported stolen in 2007.

A similar even happened to a woman in the South Valley, except in this case, she was robbed at gunpoint. Thanks to OnStar's new Stolen Vehicle Slowdown feature, the 100 mph pursuit was ended quickly and no one was hurt.

After OnStar pinpointed the location of the stolen vehicle, they waited for police to catch up. Then, they remotely put the vehicle to a complete stop. The robber ran, fell in a pool, and was arrested. Not the getaway he imagined I'm sure. With much success, this was the first time that the technology was implemented in real time.

This automated vehicle slowdown feature that OnStar is equipping in new 2009/2010 vehicles will undoubtedly help minimize traffic accidents, high speed pursuits, grand theft auto, and other automobile safety issues.

It’s not hard to imagine that this event will, if not already, spur a huge PR effort for the company.

If this technology gains more popularity in the future, it’s not hard to imagine that privacy issues may arise. Questions may surface as to what kind of conditions and or situations this technology can be implemented. I, on the other hand, believe that if you are a law-abiding citizen, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.

Obviously, this automated slowdown system has usefulness to both public and private industries, but which holds more precedence and are both able to coexist?

Personally, I believe law and government bodies will have more usefulness for this sort of technology in the long run. The two can exist together, but I would not be surprised if lawsuits arise in the dawning popularity this type of technology.

Let me know what you all think.