OnStar to Partner with Poison Control For Urgent Assistance

March 26, 2009

Do you have OnStar in your car? Most cars manufactured by General Motors within the last 10 years offer some kind of OnStar access plan, and let me tell you, it can be very useful. A couple times I have been on press driving events and have gotten lost from the route, and OnStar has helped me find my way back with verbal and onscreen turn by turn directions. And that's just the tip of their iceberg of useful features!

Well, here's another: OnStar and Poison Control have announced a joint venture that will increase the safety and security of OnStar subscribers by giving them direct access to Poison Control for expert instructions and information on potential poisonings that may occur in or around their vehicles.

With any poison-related issue, speed of treatment is the most important factor, followed by effectiveness of treatment, and nearly 75 percent of calls received by Poison Control can be handled over the phone. As demonstrated by this video at YouTube, subscribers now have the added peace of mind that Poison Control is just a button press away should they encounter any type of poisoning situation in their vehicle.

"Most drivers don't anticipate that an accident may not happen on the road but rather in their backseat," says Cathy McCormick, OnStar Emergency Services Manager. "OnStar currently receives about a call a day from subscribers who have specific questions relating to poisonings, and a majority of these calls concern children and pets. This partnership was developed to give subscribers' access to Poison Control to assist them with these types of situations." OnStar can also offer turn-by-turn assistance to help get parents to their local emergency facility should the situation require it.

According to Poison Control, children are the most likely victims of a poisoning accident in a vehicle, by getting access to a purse that contains medication or getting into grocery bags with household products. Poison Control also receives a large amount of calls concerning those pesky silica gel packets that are commonly found in shoe boxes and other packaged goods.

Of the nearly 2.5 million calls Poison Control receives each year, more than half were for children under five years old. And more than 130,000 calls are related to pet poisionings. You might not think about it, but pets can be at risk in vehicles as they may gain access to automotive products such as oil and antifreeze or food items such as chocolate or nuts that can be extremely toxic.

"As Americans spend more time in their cars, we're seeing an increase of poison-related accidents in vehicles," said Susan Smolinske, PharmD, medical director of the Children's Hospital of Michigan Poison Control Center, which will manage the relationship. "The car is not a controlled environment and drivers don't always consider the possible exposure to risks outside of the home."

There is no additional fee to OnStar subscribers to contact Poison Control via their OnStar system; access to Poison Control is an extension of OnStar's emergency services line, included in the OnStar subscription that comes standard for one year on OnStar-equipped GM vehicles.

"This partnership is one more example of how OnStar is there for our nearly 6 million subscribers when they need us most - in an emergency," said Steve Schwinke, OnStar Vice President of Service Line Management. "OnStar's comprehensive emergency and security services offers help in the event of a vehicle crash, severe weather crisis and now we can provide a vital link to poison management experts."

Go, OnStar!

creative commons images courtesy shawnzlea and ohsoabnormal via flickr.com

Jody DeVere
President and CEO
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