OnStar Partners With CDC To Help Car Wreck Victims

March 21, 2007

General Motors Corporations's OnStar service shared a release today announcing it is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help emergency responders treat crash victims.

OnStar's real-time crash data -- vehicle speed, impact points and airbag deployment - collected through its Advanced Automatic Crash Notification (AACN) system is currently used to help EMTs, trauma surgeons, and first responders evaluate auto accidents earlier and more comprehensively than ever before, and to help these professionals provide the best care for crash victims both on the scene and at trauma centers.

Using a collection of sensors inside the vehicle, the OnStar system sends AACN data to an OnStar Advisor if the vehicle is involved in a moderate or severe front, rear, or side-impact crash, regardless of airbag deployment. AACN data includes crash severity information, along with data on the direction of impact, air bag deployment, multiple impacts and a rollover. The OnStar Advisor can relay this information to emergency dispatchers helping them to determine quickly the appropriate combination of emergency personnel, equipment and medical facilities needed. More information on AACB can be found a the official OnStar website.

OnStar and the CDC will gather a panel of more than 20 emergency medical physicians, trauma surgeons, public safety, and vehicle safety experts to review this valuable OnStar data to develop guidelines for field triage decisions and medical treatment.

According to an article at CNN.com, this type of precision can help emergency officials make the "absolutely critical decision" of whether to send a crash victim to a Level I trauma center, which provides the highest level of trauma care, said Dr. Richard Hunt, who leads the CDC's division of injury response at the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.

CNN reports that the collaboration was developed through a $250,000 grant from the General Motors Foundation. The CDC will review real-time crash data from OnStar to help improve emergency transportation and the treatment of crash victims.

According to GM, more than six-million Americans were involved in police-reported traffic crashes in 2005, in which more than 40,000 people were killed and more than two million people were injured. OnStar believes getting better information in the hands of the first responders and doctors through AACN data will help save some of these lives.

Additionally, CNN.com reports that OnStar is standard on about two-thirds of 2007 model-year GM vehicles and will be included on most 2008 vehicles. As an option, it costs $695, which includes the hardware and first year's subscription fee. After the first year, the subscription price is $16.95 a month or $199 annually. More information on OnStar can be found at GM's official OnStar Website.

General Motors says this partnership with the CDC is further evidence its commitment to safety and developing technology that improves the lives of drivers and their passengers.

General Motors offers AACN on more than two million vehicles across 40 GM models -- in the U.S. and Canada. It is also available in more than one million OnStar-equipped GM vehicles on the road today. OnStar receives approximately 1,200 airbag notifications and 700 AACN calls each month.

AACN is available in the following 2007 Model Year Vehicles:
Buick+	Chevrolet*	GMC*	Pontiac
Lucerne	Avalanche	Acadia	G5
Rainier	Cobalt	Denali	G6
Terraza	Equinox	Denali XL	Solstice
	HHR	Envoy	Torrent
Cadillac+	Impala	Sierra
DTS	Malibu	Yukon	*SAAB +**
Escalade	Malibu Maxx	Yukon XL	9-7x*
Escalade EXT	Monte Carlo
Escalade ESV	Silverado	Hummer*	Saturn*
SRX	Suburban	H2	Aura
STS	Tahoe	H2 SUT	Outlook
	Trailblazer	H3	Relay
	Uplander		Sky
			Vue
*All new OnStar-equipped Chevrolet, GMC, Hummer, Pontiac, Saturn, and SAAB models include a one-year 'Safe & Sound' Plan. +All new OnStar-equipped Buick and Cadillac models, as well as the Saab 9-7x include a one-year 'Directions & Connections' Plan.