General Motors' OnStar(R) Offers Tips for Adult and Kid Safety
17 Februar 2005 - 5:12PM
PR Newswire (US)
General Motors' OnStar(R) Offers Tips for Adult and Kid Safety
DETROIT, Feb. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- The roads are full of parents,
guardians and caregivers traveling in vehicles with precious cargo
onboard -- children. Whether they are being driven to and from
school, daycare, or extracurricular activities, children spend a
lot of time in vehicles. In fact, children ages six to 18 spend an
average of one hour a day in cars, according a National Household
Travel Survey conducted every six years by the U.S. Department of
Transportation. National Child Passenger Safety Week occurs each
year during the week of Valentine's Day, bringing public attention
to issues of transporting children. In a recent study conducted by
OnStar(R), 76 percent of women surveyed said they would be
concerned about traveling alone in a deserted area with their
children. So, it is important for parents and caregivers to teach
their children when and how to contact help from an automobile in
the event of an emergency. Leta White of Norwood, Ohio, was hiking
in the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee with her 12-year-old son and
his friend, but this trip turned out to be more of an adventure
than they ever imagined. Nearly three miles from the end of the
trail Leta broke her leg, so she turned to the boys for help. Tommy
and his friend hiked back to the family's 2002 Chevrolet
TrailBlazer. They pressed the OnStar(R) emergency button and were
relieved to hear a voice answer their call for help. The OnStar(R)
advisor connected the boys with park rangers and help was soon
dispatched. After being on the mountain nearly 12 hours, the rescue
teams reached Leta and carried her to safety. She later underwent
surgery to repair three broken bones in her leg. Absent of
emergencies, there are some caregivers who feel it is their
responsibility to show children how to call for help when an
emergency does occur. Daycare provider Marica Iannacone, of
Danbury, Conn., has taught the children she cares for more than how
to share toys and pick up after themselves. Marica teaches the kids
-- who range in age from six months to eight years old -- how to
contact OnStar(R) for help in the event of an emergency. "I have
taught my children that if we are ever in a crash of any kind, that
all they have to do is push the sign of the 'cross' button,"
Iannacone said, referring to the OnStar(R) emergency button. "I
consider the OnStar(R) advisors God's angels and I let the children
know that all they have to say is 'help' and the angels will send
help." OnStar(R) has on occasion responded to emergency calls
placed by children whose parents had become ill while driving. Here
are some tips: * Talk to your children about how and when to dial
911, or how to use an in-vehicle communication system, such as
OnStar(R), during an emergency. * Explain to your children that 911
can be a source of help to them during an emergency. * Teach
children to give their full name and remain as calm as possible
when speaking with the 911 operator or OnStar(R) advisor so that
they can send appropriate help as quickly as possible. * Stay on
the line until the operator says it is OK to hang up. Every day, an
estimated 200,000 calls are made to 911 using wireless technology,
according to the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet
Association (CTIA). OnStar(R) responds to about 13,000 emergency
calls each month. OnStar(R) continues to work closely with
emergency personnel to report thousands of motor vehicle
emergencies every year. Between November 2004 and January 2005,
OnStar(R) responded to a monthly average of: * 900 airbag
notifications * 400 stolen vehicle location requests * 20,000
roadside assistance In addition, General Motors and OnStar(R) have
been in the forefront of child passenger safety. GM has partnered
with National Safe Kids organization for programs such as Safe Kids
Buckle Up education, child restraint check ups at GM dealerships,
and Never Leave Your Child Alone. OnStar(R) has joined with the
National Center of Missing and Exploited Children to help find
missing children as part of the AMBER Alert program. Affirming its
commitment to safety and security, General Motors will make
OnStar(R) and electronic stability control (ESC) standard features
on all retail vehicles for customers in the United States and
Canada. The expansion of OnStar(R) will be completed by 2007, and
the ESC rollout will be complete by 2010. "Only General Motors
offers a full range of cars, trucks and SUVs that provide safety
features that operate before, during, and, thanks to OnStar(R),
after a crash," said Robert C. Lange, GM executive director,
Structure and Safety Integration. About OnStar(R) OnStar(R) by GM,
available on more than 50 models from General Motors and select
models from six other auto manufacturers, is the nation's leading
provider of in-vehicle safety, security and information services
using the GPS satellite network and wireless technology. OnStar(R)
services include automatic notification of air bag deployment,
stolen vehicle location assistance, emergency services, roadside
assistance with location, remote door unlock, GM Goodwrench remote
vehicle diagnostics, route support and convenience services.
OnStar(R) Personal Calling allows drivers to make and receive
hands-free, voice-activated calls through a nationwide cellular
network and access a wide range of other information services.
Additional information is available at http://www.onstar.com/ .
DATASOURCE: General Motors Corporation CONTACT: Jim Schell of
OnStar, +1-313-667-2790, ; or Oneika Mobley, +1-248-458-8649, , for
OnStar Web site: http://media.gm.com/ http://www.gm.com/
http://www.onstar.com/
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