Safety is No. 1 Concern for Women at the Wheel
14 Juni 2005 - 4:00PM
PR Newswire (US)
Safety is No. 1 Concern for Women at the Wheel OnStar Survey: Four
in ten female drivers feel unsafe while driving alone; The number
increases when children are on board DETROIT, June 14 /PRNewswire/
-- According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
the miles women are driving to work and carpooling kids are
steadily increasing, in fact, women are driving more than men. This
rise in travel has left women feeling vulnerable. A recent OnStar
survey reveals four in ten women feel unsafe while driving alone
and three in four said their uneasiness increased when their
children were in the car. And while "getting a flat tire" and
"engine troubles" were cited as areas for concern among survey
respondents, the majority of women drivers say they worry more
about getting into an accident or getting lost while traveling
alone or with their children. "Women drivers are beginning to spend
more time in their vehicles than men do, which means they are
exposed to a higher number of hazards while driving alone," said
ROAD & TRAVEL Magazine's Editor-in-Chief, Courtney Caldwell.
"Women are looking for ways to enhance their peace of mind when
driving and are citing safety as their number one concern when
looking for a new vehicle." The recent OnStar survey reflects this
attitude with more than 75 percent of women drivers stating that
they would feel more comfortable with an on- board safety and
security system in their vehicle and 70 percent saying they would
prefer to buy an OnStar-equipped vehicle. Keeping Your Loved Ones
Safe When it comes to their family, the survey statistics found 78
percent of women would consider buying OnStar-equipped vehicles for
their children and more than 65 percent hope that their elderly
parent would buy a vehicle with a safety and security system like
OnStar. "Most consumers are familiar with safety features like seat
belts and air bags that protect before and during a crash and have
become standard on most vehicles," said Cathy McCormick, Emergency
Service Line Manager, OnStar. "OnStar brings a third level of
safety to drivers helping to protect them and their families after
a crash." Features that help protect drivers before, during and
after a crash include: * Before a crash: - A four-wheel Antilock
Brake System (ABS) reduces wheel lockup - All-Wheel Drive (AWD)
transfers torque to all wheels for added traction - StabiliTrak
(Traction Control) helps reduce wheel spin on most slippery
surfaces * During a crash: - Front and side-impact air bags
restrain the driver and front passenger in moderate to severe
impacts * After a crash: - If the air bags deploy, drivers with
OnStar-equipped vehicles have a signal sent to a highly trained
OnStar advisor, who contacts them to see if they need help - Even
if the air bags do not deploy, vehicles equipped with Advanced
Automatic Crash Notification (AACN) use additional sensors to
detect rear and side impacts -- automatically notifying OnStar and
providing crash information following collisions - GPS (Global
Positioning System) pinpoints vehicle location -- quickly leading
emergency vehicles to injured motorists OnStar by GM - Like Having
a Guardian Angel on Board OnStar, the nation's leading provider of
in-vehicle safety and security services, uses wireless technology
and Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to link the car and
driver to a call center where advisors are available 24 hours a
day, seven days a week, to provide real-time assistance. OnStar
services include automatic air bag notification, emergency
services, roadside assistance, remote vehicle diagnostics, remote
door unlock, routing, point-of-interest location, stolen vehicle
location assistance and hands-free personal calling. On a monthly
basis (average for Feb.-April 2005), OnStar responds to
approximately: - 350 stolen vehicle locations - 800 air bag
notifications - 4,500 Good Samaritan calls - 13,000 emergency calls
- 22,000 remote vehicle diagnostics - 18,000 roadside assistance
calls - 36,000 remote door unlocks - 325,000 routing calls -
9,000,000 OnStar Hands-Free Calling calls For 2005, OnStar is
available on more than 50 GM vehicles including SUVs, light trucks,
minivans, crossovers, large and midsize sedans, and small cars. By
2007, OnStar will be standard on all GM vehicles. About OnStar
OnStar, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Motors, is the
nation's leading provider of in-vehicle safety, security and
communication services using wireless technology and the Global
Positioning System (GPS) satellite network. OnStar is available on
more than 50 GM models for 2005. By the end of 2007, OnStar will be
a standard feature for GM's retail customers in the United States
and Canada, covering all segments and prices except for some
commercial vehicles. OnStar safety and security services include
automatic notification of air bag deployment, stolen vehicle
location assistance, emergency services, roadside assistance,
remote door unlock, and GM Goodwrench remote vehicle diagnostics.
OnStar Hands-Free Calling allows drivers to make and receive
hands-free, voice-activated calls from their vehicle. More
information about OnStar can be found at http://www.onstar.com/ .
DATASOURCE: OnStar CONTACT: Anne Mittelstaedt of OnStar
Communications, +1-313-667-0874, cell: +1-238-515-2512, Web site:
http://media.gm.com/ http://www.gm.com/ http://www.onstar.com/
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