Fortunately, OnStar was there to help Sheri. But unfortunately, stories like Sheri’s happen too often. A government study found that driving too fast around a curve is the cause of almost 5 percent of crashes.

And curves are not the only sudden change in road conditions that can contribute to crashes. Another government study showed that 34 percent of serious crashes had contributing factors related to the roadway condition or its environment.

Road Alert utilizes the power of the community

To help better prepare drivers for roads that call for extra caution, OnStar is testing Road Alert for Turn-by-Turn Navigation.

“Have you ever been driving in an unfamiliar area and wondered what’s around the corner? We’re developing OnStar Road Alert to allow the community to help provide those gentle taps on the shoulder when they’re needed the most,” said Scott Jackson, Service Line Manager, Navigation Services.

Road Alert is an audio alert that warns drivers to use extra caution when they are following an OnStar Turn-by-Turn route. The exact locations of the alerts are submitted by the OnStar community.

See Jackson explain more about how Road Alert works:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Road Alert needs your input

You can help make Road Alert stronger by submitting high-risk areas to our Road Alert map. You can submit anything that might take an unsuspecting driver by surprise or call for extra caution. Examples include curves, steep grades, railroad crossings, school crossings, lane endings, speed reductions, busy intersections, animal crossings and mud and rockslide areas.

To submit a Road Alert, head over to the Road Alert map. Make sure to give as much detail about the location as possible. After we receive the submission, the OnStar Navigation Team will investigate your submission for potential inclusion in Turn-by-Turn Navigation routes. After investigation and inclusion in the Turn-by-Turn routes, drivers approaching the area you’ve designated may then hear the Road Alert you submitted while using the routes.

By identifying locations for potential inclusion, you can help other drivers know that they should pay a little more attention. And who knows, you could even be helping someone avoid an accident.

Road Alert is for information only. Obey all traffic control signs, notices and signals. Stay alert to conditions that may affect your route such as traffic, construction, weather or other events because these may cause conditions to vary.

OnStar and Google have reached an agreement to enhance OnStar Turn-by-Turn Navigation Service. OnStar eNav, a feature of Turn-by-Turn Navigation, will expand and become available through Google Maps^TM mapping service at the end of June.

OnStar subscribers will be able to search for and identify destinations using Google Maps mapping service and send those destinations to their vehicles. Subscribers can then get directions to their destination from anywhere on the road.

The agreement follows last month’s announcement that OnStar is leveraging the power of Google technology to develop a number of new mobile app features for the Chevrolet Volt.

Read the full release from PR Newswire.

Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, and for many of us, a summer road trip can’t be far behind. If you’re planning a long road trip or just heading to the local beach, these driving trips can help make your summer plans run more smoothly.

Caring for your car this summer
Before you hit the road, it’s important to make sure your car is ready for the unique demands of summer driving.

To lessen the odds of a breakdown, the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) recommends that you check the following:

Cooling system
According to the ASE, the greatest cause of summer breakdowns is overheating. So have your cooling system checked — it may need a flush and refill.

Air conditioning
Speaking of cool, have your mechanic check your air conditioning and fluids to make sure you won’t be left sweltering in the sun.

Wiper blades
Winter’s salt and ice may have wreaked havoc on wiper blades, and a dirty windshield can be a safety hazard. Replace your old blades and make sure your windshield washer fluid is filled.

Tires
According to Drive Safe PA, hot weather can cause the air inside the tire to expand, causing a blowout if the tire is in poor condition. The ASE recommends that you have your tires rotated every 5,000 miles, and don’t forget to check that your spare is in good condition.

Oil
How often you need to change your oil and filter will depend on driving conditions and your vehicle specifications, so check out your owner’s manual for what’s recommended.

OnStar subscribers can check your monthly OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics¹ email, which keeps you up-to-date on your vehicle’s key operating systems, including oil life and tire pressure. It also alerts you when it’s time to take your vehicle in for regular maintenance. And when you enroll in OnStar Dealer Maintenance Notification, your dealer will contact you to schedule a service appointment and provide you with the latest offers. It’s just one of the ways an OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics email can help you save money and drive with confidence.

Keeping the trip on course
Of course, even the best-laid plans are sometimes spoiled. If the unexpected does happen — you run out of gas or lock your keys in the car — just push your blue OnStar button and an OnStar Advisor can help with OnStar’s Roadside Assistance.²

Planning a summer driving trip doesn’t have to be stressful — with a little bit of preparation (and OnStar on your side) your vehicle will be ready to hit the road.

¹ Capabilities vary by model. Visit onstar.com for details and system limitations.
² Roadside Assistance provided by Cross Country.

Sources:
The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE)
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s Drive Safe PA

Shh. If you listen closely, you may hear the faint sounds of cracking baseball bats in the distance. It can only mean one thing: Opening Day is upon us.

If you’re looking forward to skipping work — not that we’d endorse that — OnStar¹ can help make your ballpark outing run smoothly. So as you head out, remember these six tips designed to knock Opening Day out of the park.

1. Give yourself plenty of time. Mid-day games mean mid-day traffic, so allow plenty of time to get there before the first pitch. When you’re using Turn-by-Turn Navigation, you can ask the Advisor for an alternate route should you run into a traffic jam. Still running behind? Give your friends a call and let them know when to expect you with Hands-Free Calling. (Or go ahead and call your friends who are still stuck at work. Home plate seats are worth rubbing in.)

2. Use accurate directions. Before you leave, you can use OnStar eNav to download the destination from MapQuest.com^® directly to your vehicle. Or you can always hop in the car with the confidence that Turn-by-Turn Navigation will get you there even if you only sort of know where you are going. Simply push your blue button and tell the Advisor where you want to go. You won’t even need the address because OnStar has over 13 million points of interest in the database, including major stadiums.

3. Lock your car from afar. You’ve finally got your hot dog and are settled into your seats when a sinking feeling starts to overtake you. Did you remember to lock your car? Luckily, OnStar can lock it for you. Just call OnStar and ask the Advisor to lock your door remotely. (And while we’re on the subject: Make sure to save the OnStar number (1.888.4.ONSTAR) in your cell phone before you leave home.)

4. Follow some simple anti-theft precautions. Follow these quick tips to protect yourself from theft. But if you’ve taken every precaution and the worst still happens, Stolen Vehicle Assistance from OnStar can help recover your car.

5. Forget where you parked (on purpose). Stadium parking lots are big — and it’s easy to forget where you parked. But you don’t need to remember which letter you parked your car under — or spend hours wandering around trying to find it. Just give OnStar a call and an Advisor can flash your car horn and lights until you locate your car.

6. Refuel with food. Need a place to nosh after the game? With Information & Convenience Services, available with the Directions & Connections subscription plan, you can request the address to a local restaurant — then download the phone number directly to your vehicle. And with Hands-Free Calling, you can call ahead to reserve a table for you and your friends to relive the game highlights.

What are your plans for Opening Day? Do you have any yearly traditions?




¹ Visit onstar.com for coverage map, details and system limitations. Services vary by model and conditions.

Watch the video to see what OnStar means to three generations of one family.

Click here to view the embedded video.

¹ Service varies by model and conditions. .
² Visit onstar.com for coverage map, details and system limitations.
³ Requires ABS and Directions & Connections plan. Visit onstar.com for coverage map. Services vary by model.
⁴ Not available in all states.

Then, on the way home we had to alter our route because of a winter storm watch in the northern part of Pittsburgh and Ohio. I called OnStar and she gave us, once again, very specific details for our new route. We arrived on the southern part of Columbus during rush hour on a Friday night in a snowstorm, after driving 7 hours. We called Hampton and found a hotel n of the city. We arrived in Delaware with no Hampton in sight. I immediately called OnStar. That man was so patient when I explained what was happening. My nerves were frazzled (and Gary’s were gone, he drove all the way) and I know I was a little “short” with him, but apologized for my demeanor. He was able to help us arrive at our destination safe and sound.

The bottom line is that OnStar was our guiding light once again, even though this time we were in a Chrysler product. All “guides” were very professional, polite, calm, and reassuring. I don’t mind paying the almost $30.00 a month for the OnStar service. It has been a marriage saver for me:) We had friends with Blackberries, Iphones, and whatever other gadgets are out there. All of them stated their directions were incorrect in getting them to Arlington Cemetery or anywhere else in the WDC area. Not us:) OnStar was there when we needed it and we did need it plenty this trip:) I want to thank OnStar for always having us arrive safely at our destinations. My lease is up in June. No matter what my next vehicle is, I will always OnStar as my guiding light.”

Not until I purchased my Tahoe was my OnStar system equipped with the Turn-by-Turn Navigation feature. Since I have had that feature there is no where I won’t go because I know that OnStar can get me there and now with the MapQuest integration it is easier and quicker than ever to get where I am going.

In June of 2008 I had to travel to Bloomington, Minnesota for a business trip, I decided that I and a friend would drive so I set my OnStar Turn-by-Turn Navigation system and hit the road. As you may know around this time severe weather across the country produced floods that destroyed homes and closed many roads in the Wisconsin area, directly in my navigation route unknown to me at the time. This trip should have taken approximately 5 ½ hours and ended up taking 10! Let me tell you what happened. To be exact a 13 mile stretch of 90/94W was closed. When I arrived to the closed portion of the highway in the middle of the night, we were forced to exit the high way and there were no detour signs giving directions on how or where to re-enter the highway. At this point the OnStar system is alerting me that I’ve left the planned route and automatically immediately began attempting to reroute me back to the high way only to find one closed entrance after another.

By this time I was starting to worry. I used my cell phone to call the Wisconsin Department of Transportation trying to find out where the highway was re-opend so that I could relay this information to the wonderful OnStar advisor, Mabel who ended up taking what would be my last call to OnStar that night. I wasn’t able to obtain the needed information on my own. Mabel was able to contact them and get the appropriate information in order to route me around the flooded portion of the highway.

But Mabel’s service did not stop there. Over the next 4 ½ hours Mabel called me on my OnStar phone system approximately every 30 minute to make certain that I was still traveling towards my destination. When Mabel first told me that she would continue calling me back until I made it to Bloomington, MN I have to admit I didn’t think that she actually would or for that matter would be able to with the volume of calls I’m sure the OnStar Call Center receives. But she did, making sure that me and my friend Kim were OK , had gas and we alert, again giving us confidence and peace of mind that we would make it there safely without further delay. I want to personally thank Mabel for her extraordinary customer service going above and beyond the call of duty to help me in this very trying situation. Even while I was tired and on edge and probably a little agitated, Mabel maintained a professional, courteous demeanor the entire time! I would like to commend her on a job well done and let her superior know what an amazing job she and the team at OnStar perform for their customers every day. As long as I own a vehicle equipped with OnStar, I will be a customer forever! Again, Thank you for helping me Navigate the unsure Waters!”