hhrcrafty

I think the big deterrent to full shutdown is going to be liability. GM does not want to be sued when the cops call up OnStar to shut down a vehicle and then beat the driver and passengers to a bloody pulp. That's probably why they're tying the slowdown function to a process that can only be started by the owner of the vehicle.

IgottaWoody

Glad I grew up while one could still play hide and seek!In a few more years I probably won't care anymore........

mistermike

Several years ago, anti carjacking schemes were popular. These devices introduced various degrees of impairment, typically after a specified time delay. Most of them were pulled out of fear of lawsuits over a car that, let's say, wound up disabled at a railroad crossing or on a blind curve in the high speed lane. I believe Viper/Clifford still has an anticarjacking feature that relies on a pretty sophisticated list of parameters, including brake input, before it engages.

That being said, professional thieves willl routinely disable factory installed GPS/satellite antennas or leave a car in a "sandbox" till it cools off. Amateurs and joyriders generally don't do much thinking, and are usually the ones who get nabbed.

The "big brother" aspect is certainly worrysome to me. The police have long wished for a device that could disable a suspect vehicle in a chase. While admirable, this isn't a huge leap to disabling your car if you have delinquent parking tickets, GPS enforced speed limits, or even, speeding fines based on your own car ratting you out. With the Nanny State mentality ever on the rise, we need to be watchful of this kind of stuff. Obama/Reid/Pelosi could pick up where Woodrow Wilson left off. We forfeit our liberties in small, palatable increments.

chevyorange

I agree with you but I think naming only one type of politician is disingenuous.

Look at all the privacy we've lost under the "other" side in power.

QuickRick

Guys,

I hate this stuff, it reminds me of red light cameras and speed guns I see mounted on poles.

Whiney women with kids will want all cars to have a signal sent to make the car do 12 mph in their neighborhood next (as if their 13 speed bumps are bad enough).

You are right, slowly our rights will be taken away for our own good.

QuickRick

The Curly 1

In America we say this is the land of the Free but it is anything but that now. I have been around the world and you would be surprised to know how much different it is. There is a law against just about everything in America and it will get worse.
New York just passed a law that you can not have those plastic "Bull balls" on your truck that so many people have hanging from their bumper. Now I do not think they are cute but certainly not a major threat to society. Give me a break! OJ Simpson can kill his wife and get away with it but the plastic bull balls are illegal? Just another sign of Big Brother out of control and where the priorities in our Govenrment is.
Big brother is taking away all of your rights and fredoms and you will never get them back.

There are other things, say the car will not start if it detects the smell of alcohol because we all know drinking and driving is against the law. The technology is there to do that right now. What about smoking? It causes cancer, maybe the car should not run if it detects smoke? That may sound outrageous but as crazy as our Government has gotten it is hard to say where they will stop.

I think it is only a matter of time until there is speed traps set up all around where you get a ticket mailed (or even emailed) to you when there is not a cop or anyone else around. All done electronically by Big Brother.

I do like the idea that they can help get your car back if it stolen but you are all right in that it is another step towards a Government run state.
Still I think the Onstar is a waste of money.

As they say "No good deed goes unpunished"

ChevyMgr

I never saw this thread going this way. Hmmm.

Ok right now technology allows anyone, not just the government, to spy on you in any way they choose and to infringe on your rights as often as they want. It's already here and we are still a functioning society with our ups and downs. And right now we're down.

An example is that I can find my kids within a few yards right now by gps on their phones. Priceless!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Do I care if someone else might do the same to me? No.

c2vette

"Any person who is willing to give up freedom in exchange for a little added safety is deserving of neither freedom nor safety"

A founding father quote that is not quite right but close, and I look forward to a correction, since that will emphasize the point.

What would some folks (including some politicians) like to legislate away due to cost to society? Smoking in buildings, Smoking in Public, Smoking in your car, Smoking in your home, Smoking period. Alcohol consumption. Motorcycle Racing, Motorcycle Riding, Skiing, Horse Jumping Competition, Rodeos, Horseback Riding, Mountain Climbing, Bicycle Riding, Limit Autos to 85 mph, Junk Food tax, Obesity tax.....get it, see yourself anywhere in there? Do you really not care?

DMarotta

Ben Franklin said it.. "They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security."

I could not agree more.

IgottaWoody

I remember a few years back where the gov was thinking of a mandatory black box installed in all new vehicles(don't remember the year) for tracking purposes..and..they were not telling people about it.And, you had no choice about it.Anybody else?