Should OnStar be used to end high speed chases?
 

OnStar's stolen vehicle slowdown technology:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIIM8rw0au8

Glenn Beck is saying that BHO wants to take over GM so he can keep track of and control Americans with OnStar:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDoDwEPKYMA

Part 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhXEzJHWF1c&feature=related

Putting Beck aside for a moment, it does raise some civil liberty issues. But then again, high speed chases are quite the menace.

Sure, as soon as the judge signs the court order they can shut off the car. It's similar to a phone tap.

one more reason i'll never own a new GM vehicle.

So police officers can't disable it when someone steals it but rather drive away and trash it??? :confused:

Yes, they should be able to disable it with just cause.

In this case I rather let them trash it.
If the car is reported stolen it goes to Carfax and the value of the car goes DOWN big time, so better let the tug crash the car so the owner can get the full payment, otherwise the INS can give him the car back and he/she lost at least 30% of the value on the spot.

It should be used. The potential for injury to third parties is too great not to do so. I don't care about carfax or the things value. If onstar stops it without issues there is no damage to the vehicle and no reason to reduce its value anyway.

- Peter.

many of today's cars are equipped with a black box that tracks vehicle usage information. in the event of an accident, police can remove the black box and download information such as speed, braking etc to determine if you broke the law. if this idea had been mentioned 50 years ago, no one would have believed such a thing possible. there are already studies progressing to literally track the thoughts of the brain and download them into computer software programs. once a "chip" has been installed in the brain, the thought police will be able to readily determine whether you have committed any "thought" crimes.....

in addition, an RFID chip will be implanted in your butt so that government will always know your whereabouts, for your own safety of course. anyone caught opposing RFID chip implantation will be deemed a "conspiracy nut".

for more predictions from past fictional novels coming into the realm of everyday reality, read the book "1984" concerning the unspeakable offense known as "thought crime", "face crime", etc.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thoughtcrime

or course, we all know that technology solves all of society's ills.......

Looks like you never dealt with insurance company. Once the car is reported stolen, the car is listed AS STOLEN and recovered, in some states this car cannot be register anymore as clean title. Do you really don't care about the value of...let say $50K Mercedes Benz that you just have purchased?
I agree with you on the part about injury to a third parties.

I was not defending or promoting one way or the other I was voicing personal opinion.

It should absolutely be used. Criminals engaging in high speed chases put the general public as well as LEOs at risk for injury or death. This is not a civil liberties issue. You don't have the right to break the law. You don't have the right to put others at risk while you break the law.

Any police force that doesn't attempt to use this as a safe way to end a high speed pursuit (and lock the occupants in the car in the process) is failing at their duty to protect the public and uphold the law.

The path to hell is paved with good intentions.
Today, disabling stolen cars. Tomorrow, speed governing. Next week, control of engine for optimal fuel efficiency. Next month, warrantless route tracking.

I agree.......this might be a very fast, slippery slope....

Speed governing? Oh yeah! Had that the other day...hit 97 mph, the engine cut out/back until I was back down to 95 mph.

We have it, it works and it sucks...

So...out comes the '67 El Camino. :D

Govern that! :thumbup1:

Hell, let OnStar (OS) have 3 buttons...

Button 1 - Talk to driver.

Button 2 - Slow car down, then off.

Button 3 - Car blows up, no trial or criminal to contend with.

If the car hasn't gone too far and the LEOs are still tracking it down, button 1 should do the trick...

If the car is starting to run, or is running, and there hasn't been any damage to it, then button 2 is your choice.

If the guy is running down fire hydrants, has already shreaded the Bridgestones, has applied street-side antiquing to the side-panels and has generally trashed the beast (and there's no one else inside...except his "hoodies"), button 3 for civility and entertainment value...you know there's got to be a helo in the area...

Film at 11! :thumbup1:

No, the cops shouldn't be causing these dangerious chases.

You ever watch the show Cops? Most of the high speed chases are for stupid BS. IE they failed to pull over. You end up having a guy run for half an hour breaking every law in the book and driving the car into a house because he didn't want a ticket.:rolleyes:

That's my general take. High speed chases are serious business. I can relate to why those cops beat the hell out of Rodney King. It would have to be infuriating to watch some sleeze ball endanger that many people just to save his miserable ass.

But the slippery slope thing is worrisome. I mean look at the UK where you can suddenly hear big brother on a loudspeaker telling you to pick up that candy wrapper.

Why not leave it up to the owner and the cop in pursuit? First when you buy a car can authorized the vehicle to be monitored, not monitors, go through a check list of what you want G to do or not due. If the car is stolen and not endangering anyone, let it be if you said to or shut the damn thing down if you said so. If the cop says people are at risk, all bets are off and shut it down.

Personally, someone steals my car I want it shut down ASAP. I might be stuck in the trunk or back seat if it's a car jacking.

Not sure I have a problem with the telemetry being used against someone to prove guilt. If you are doing 100mph in a 50 zone and kill someone, why shouldn't the car testify against you?

Here in the Bay Area they call it Fastrak - used only for bridge tolls, no toll roads here - and they have a posted limit of 25 mph through the toll booth. I usually slow down to 40. I've not heard of anyone getting a ticket for going too fast through the booth, and it would have to be easy to do. I mean they have a camera to photograph your license now so they can charge your account if the transponder doesn't click off or ticket you if you're an interloper.

I can only imagine that they don't do it because they want to encourage more people to use Fastrak and if it looked like an easy route to tickets right and left, would sorta be the death of it. I'm amazed at how many people I see waiting in line to pay still, while I zip past them, so I can imagine they don't need any more impediments.

But then any perp on the lam would only need to speed up and he stays not caught.

The first time I saw that show I thought it was a parody (always reminds me of the local police where I grew up); given a choice, I think I would rather have the criminals on the streets.

To a point, they get caught eventualy.