OnStar's Stolen Vehicle Slowdown system uses satellite and cellular technology to send a signal to a stolen vehicle so it automatically comes to a stop.

According to OnStar, 40 percent of high-speed car theft chases result in property damage and 25 percent of those end in injury or death. Saving the day for thousands of car-jacking victims nationwide is OnStar's Stolen Vehicle Slowdown system. This most recent addition to OnStar's suite of vehicle safety, security, and information services literally stops car thieves in their tracks.

According to representative Cristi Vasquez, OnStar helps police locate a stolen vehicle around 700 times a month using its Global Positioning System functionality through OnStar's Vehicle Location Assistance program. Stolen Vehicle Slowdown takes this service one step further by slowing the vehicle to a stop after OnStar and the police find it.

Here's how it works. The vehicle owner and OnStar subscriber files a stolen-vehicle report with police and contacts OnStar to request Stolen Vehicle Location Assistance. OnStar and the police locate the vehicle through its GPS. Once found, a signal is sent to activate the vehicle's hazard lights. After law enforcement visually tracks the vehicle, confirms it is the stolen car, and assess that the conditions are safe enough to stop it, OnStar steps in.

A message in the gauge cluster tells the car thief that engine power is reduced once OnStar remotely slows the vehicle to a stop.

Using satellite and cellular technology, the OnStar advisor sends another signal to remotely slow the vehicle from any speed to a stop. A flashing message in front of the steering wheel tells the thief that the "engine power is reduced." The process is gradual and only affects the accelerator pedal. All other vehicle functions remain intact and there is nothing the thief can do to disable the system. In the span of several seconds, the car comes to a complete stop. Once in police custody, OnStar resets the vehicle to resume normal operation.

Starting this fall, and available only on select model-year 2009 General Motors vehicles for sale in the U.S. and Canada, Stolen Vehicle Slowdown will be free for one year with the rest of OnStar's services and then cost $199 a year after that. This subscription includes all other vehicle safety and security systems offered by OnStar, like Automatic Crash Response, Emergency Services, Remote Door Unlock, Roadside Assistance, Crisis Assist, OnStar Turn-by-Turn Navigation, Hands Free Calling, and OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics.

Chevrolet will be the first brand to offer Stolen Vehicle Slowdown, but over the next few years GM plans to offer the service across its entire lineup of cars, trucks, and SUVs. Older GM vehicles cannot be retrofitted with the Stolen Vehicle Slowdown system.