OnStar expands from cars to bikes, giving motorcycle riders emergency roadside assistance, crash detection, and more.
OnStar, from General Motors, has been giving drivers of cars and trucks security and peace of mind for more than a quarter-century. Now, OnStar has announced the expansion of the service from four wheels to just two. Motorcyclists will be able to access the same emergency services and crash detection. As well as roadside assistance services for gas, a jump, or even a tow.
OnStar Helping for 26 Years
Launched in 1996, OnStar gave customers of GM’s luxury brands, mostly Cadillac models, an in-vehicle assistant. Using a button on the rearview mirror, customers could call an OnStar operator to get help with navigation, make calls, and more.
For safety, the service could detect if you had been in a crash using airbags and other sensors. It would then call an OnStar operator to talk to the car’s occupants and find out if emergency services were necessary. If they were, OnStar could call 911 for you.
As in-car (and out-of-car) tech has evolved, so has OnStar. It was offered on nearly all GM cars and trucks, and even briefly by Acura, Audi, and Subaru.
Today OnStar can give you turn-by-turn directions, remotely lock and unlock your car, and give you access to maintenance data or let you know how much gas is in the tank. One of the most-hyped services is the ability to track a stolen vehicle and help police disable it remotely, to recover the vehicle and prevent a chase.
Last year, OnStar made its largest expansion outside of GM cars and trucks. Anyone with a smartphone could access some of OnStar’s services through the OnStar Guardian app.
Updates Bring Services to Bikers
The latest upgrade lets motorcycle riders use one of OnStar’s best services. For motorcycle riders, OnStar Guardian will use sensors in your smartphone to detect when you’re out for a ride. The same sensors in your phone will alert OnStar to sharp changes in speed or acceleration.
That means it can detect if you crash your motorcycle in many situations. If that happens, an OnStar Emergency Advisor will reach out and can contact first responders.
OnStar’s Emergency Advisors are trained to help triage a situation over the phone. They can also help provide medical assistance, to you or a bystander, until first responders arrive on the scene.
Includes Emergency and Roadside Help
The OnStar Guardian App includes access to Emergency Advisors 24/7 even if you’re not in a crash. The service can help with severe weather, crisis situations, and first aid like CPR, as well as dispatching emergency services to your location.
OnStar Guardian also includes roadside assistance, and that covers you and any of up to seven registered “My Family” members on a motorcycle or in their vehicle. Available roadside services include jump-starts, flat tire help, vehicle lockouts, and running out of gas. The service can arrange towing, but the cost isn’t included in any of OnStar’s plans.
Collision detection and emergency response is an amazing feature for motorcyclists, but the roadside assistance part is — we hope — the one you’re more likely to use.
The OnStar Guardian app is available for Android and iPhone devices. If you have an OnStar Premium, Essentials, or Safety and Security subscription for your GM vehicle, it is included in your plan. If not, the service is $15 per month, and OnStar is offering a 3-month free trial to get new users started.
