Women who think they’re spending their life behind the wheel
are probably right. Women in the US drive more than 886
billion miles a year, according to the Ohio Insurance Institute. Travel
industry experts say that more than 40% of all business travelers
today are women, the majority traveling by car. Thanks to work,
errands, carpooling, family, friends, and recreation, women spend
far more time in their vehicles than men.
Safety and security are real concerns for women driving alone or
with their children. Many have chosen to go beyond a cell phone
and a first aid kit by purchasing vehicles equipped with permanently
installed security services, like OnStar. The system uses wireless
technology and Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to link
car and driver to a call center.
Advisors are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to provide
real-time assistance to motorists. OnStar services include automatic
air bag notification, stolen vehicle location, emergency services,
roadside assistance, remote vehicle diagnostics, remote door unlock,
routing, point-of-interest location and even an online concierge.
Motorists are taking advantage of the services. From December
2002-Feb. 2003, OnStar responded to approximately 700 automatic air
bag notifications, 400 stolen vehicle location requests, 6,000 emergency
button pushes, 15,000 remote vehicle diagnostics requests, 14,000
roadside assistance requests, 27,000 remote door unlock requests and
220,000 route support calls.
For 2003, OnStar is available on more than 60 vehicles from seven
different auto manufacturers, mostly from General Motors, including
SUVs, light trucks, minivans, crossovers, large and midsize sedans,
and small cars. Some of the Lincoln SUV’s have a
navigation system, but not the other services. Toyota and Nissan
do not yet offer the feature .
Oldsmobiles, Cadillacs and Buicks produced after 2001 are likely
to have the OnStar capability. It is an optional feature. Like
a cellular phone, subscribers pay an annual fee ranging from about
$200-$350, depending on which package they select. The activation
fee is about $50.
With the OnStar system, police and fire departments are automatically
dispatched to the scene if the air bag is deployed. For women
who travel rural roads, it can be a lifesaver. More often, OnStar
comes to the rescue for the minor emergencies, when keys are locked
inside the car or the driver is lost. Still, having the door
unlocked with just a phone call or getting to an appointment on time
or getting reassurance when smoke is coming out of the hood, is a
special kind of lifesaver, too.
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