OnStar is moving beyond the car as motorcyclists and Amazon Alexa users can now benefit from the company’s safety technology.
Starting with motorcycles, the OnStar Guardian app (Apple Store / Google Play) has been updated to provide riders with tailored roadside assistance as well as 24/7 access to emergency advisors in the United States and Canada.
More importantly, the app uses your smartphone’s sensors to detect when you’re riding so it can watch for a sudden change in acceleration that may indicate a crash. If a potential accident is detected, an OnStar emergency advisor will be notified and attempt to contact the motorcyclist. They can then get in touch with first responders and give them your location, if needed.
Also Read: OnStar Comes To Smartphones With New Mobile App That Can Detect Crashes
To protect people at home, GM is launching an OnStar Guardian skill for Amazon Alexa-enabled devices in the United States. It will enable subscribers to use their Echos and Echo Dots to get in touch with OnStar emergency advisors by saying “Alexa, call for help.” This is a potentially lifesaving feature as people, especially the elderly, who fall at home may not be able to get to a phone to call for help.
As OnStar expands beyond traditional vehicles, the company has introduced a new brand identity and logo that “represents its commitment to elevating the standards of safety and security.” The latter features an updated color palette and font, which is designed to bring the OnStar logo into the modern era.
OnStar’s vice president of Safety and Connectivity, Jeff Massimilla, explained “OnStar’s new identity and logo kicks off a new era for the brand and how we are innovating to make our promise of safety and security available to more people.” He added, “These latest expansions, as well as our work with the public safety community to advance new technologies, illustrate how GM is delivering on its promise to becoming a software innovator and building on our subscription services expertise.”
The new features are available to non-GM owners as anyone can download the OnStar Guardian app and sign up for the service through the Apple App Store or Google Play. However, they’ll need to purchase a standalone subscription that costs $15 per month.
