New OnStar Program Helps Track Teen Drivers

TRAVERSE CITY (WWJ) - OnStar is trying something new that could soon allow parents to very closely track their teen drivers.

Reporting from the Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City, WWJ AutoBeat Reporter Jeff Gilbert said about 10,000 OnStar subscribers will be chosen to participate in a pilot program.

"Family Link" will allow these OnStar customers to track their vehicle online and get alerts if their car or truck goes somewhere in or outside a designated area.

OnStar Vice President Vijay Iyer says parents of teen drivers are really a prime market for this technology.

"If you have a young driver who is now, basically, starting to drive, and you just want to make sure they're safe while they're driving, or they shouldn't go to specific areas, that's the type of thing you can do with this service," Iyer said.

Iyer said this might also be of interest to those with aging parents on the road.

"(If) you just want to make sure that, even if they don't drive long distances, that you know that they're safe and that you can connect to them," he said.

Gilbert says OnStar will be keeping a close eye on this program to decide if Family Link will be available to more subscribers.

WWJ AutoBeat Reporter Jeff Gilbert is covering the Management Briefing Seminars. You can follow his Twitter feed here.