GM Says OnStar System Is Safe

Addressing growing concern among safety officials and state legislatures over the use of mobile phones in cars, General Motors subsidiary OnStar unveiled on Wednesday a report that discounted connections between its hands-free in-car phone service and driving accidents.

The study contrasts with a much-publicized report released earlier this month by Carnegie Mellon University that indicated hands-free use of cell phones while driving impaired a driver's ability to perform at 100 percent.

OnStar studied the relationship between 8.1 million calls placed to OnStar and accidents occurring while a driver was talking to an OnStar adviser, and found there were only two accidents. The study monitored only those accidents serious enough to require the deployment of an airbag.

The two accidents occurred while a driver was in conversation with an OnStar adviser. The study analyzed all calls made to OnStar between the introduction of OnStar in October 1996 to May 2000. OnStar is a GM offering that uses wireless technology to provide safety and consumer services.

According to the OnStar study, "there is no evidence that the calls actively contributed to the crashes," according to Chet Hubers, OnStar president.

The study also found that in six cases there was an accident serious enough to deploy an airbag 10 minutes after a driver ended a conversation with an OnStar adviser. Again, the numbers are out of a total 8.1 million calls placed, and according to OnStar officials there was no indication that the conversation contributed to the accident.

Real-World Study

The OnStar officials highlighted the difference between their study of actual accidents and mobile phone usage versus studies based in a research laboratory.

"There is general concern about lack of accurate real-world data about use of cell phones. We have seen and analyzed many of the studies, with often confusing and counterintuitive results," Hubers says.

Recent New York legislation barring the use of handheld mobile phones in vehicles brought the issue to the "front burner," Hubers says, citing it as a reason why OnStar uses the hands-free concept it deploys more services in the car.

Hubers says that the GM research team was aware of the results of the recent Carnegie Mellon study that indicated drivers could not perform two functions simultaneously as well as they could perform a single task.

According to Hubers, calls placed to OnStar are similar in nature to any cell phone conversation and often require a higher level of cognitive thinking as when a driver is lost and must drive and follow directions.