REQUEST FOR IAATI FEEDBACK    (Posted 04/10/08) 

OnStar is finalizing preparation for a major 30-city tour focused on outreach to Public Safety that kicks off next week in Seattle and Portland. Our objectives on this tour will be simple: to update senior representatives of the police, fire, EMS and dispatch communities on our emergency services programs here at OnStar, to gain valuable input from our guests as to how OnStar emergency services are performing, and to develop relationships to help us all work more effectively together.

Last year when Bill Biondo and I spoke at the Phoenix IAATI conference, I alluded to an upcoming technology to slow down stolen vehicles. Last October we announced that Stolen Vehicle Slowdown (or SVS) would launch in late 2008, and our outreach tour will feature live demonstrations of SVS to our participants, who will ride in or drive vehicles that we’ll electronically slow down.

We’re very interested in inviting representatives of IAATI to join us at these events. Would it be possible for you to forward my email to your IAATI associates with your request that those interested contact our invitations team, headed by Cheryl Gatesy? I’ve enclosed a schedule of the cities we’ll be visiting, for your reference. We still have space available at our West coast venues. You’ll see that we’ll be in Dallas and Houston in mid May – hopefully you’ll be available to join us, as well! 
We’re very excited about this opportunity to meet with Public Safety officials, and I believe the IAATI community will be very interested in our SVS technology. 

GEORGE BAKER-ONSTAR

Below, please find the list as it currently stands:

Tier 1

LAS VEGAS, NV

SEATTLE, WA

DALLAS, TX

HOUSTON, TX

LOS ANGELES, CA

SAN FRANCISCO, CA

MIAMI, FL

Tier 2

COLUMBUS, OH

DETROIT, MI

ATLANTA, GA

ORLANDO, FL

CHARLOTTE, NC

PHILADELPHIA, PA

NEW YORK, NY

NASHVILLE, TN

INDIANAPOLIS, IN

CHICAGO, IL

BOSTON, MA

CLEVELAND, OH

CINCINNATI, OH

Tier 3

LAUREL, MD

RALEIGH, NC

HARTFORD, CT

BUFFALO, NY

PITTSBURG, PA

MINNEAPOLIS, MN

ST. LOUIS, MO

KANSAS CITY, KS

DENVER, CO

SALT LAKE CITY, UT

POMPANO BEACH, FL

NEW ORLEANS, LA

COLUMBIA, SC 

 

Name July (the Highest Vehicle Theft Month of the Year) as
“National Vehicle Theft Protection Month”

WESTWOOD, MA – June 26, 2007 –Americans are not taking the necessary precautions to protect their vehicles from theft and are putting themselves at risk for identity theft based on what they leave in their cars, trucks and SUVs, according to a survey released today by LoJack Corporation (NASDAQ: LOJN) and the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). The two leading authorities on vehicle theft protection kicked off a joint education initiative with this survey and named July (the highest vehicle theft month of the year) as “National Vehicle Theft Protection Month.”

“LoJack and NICB have joined forces because we believe that many Americans are leaving themselves exposed to today’s professional thieves. Our survey has confirmed the need for consumer education around this issue,” said Ronald V. Waters, President and Chief Operating Officer of LoJack. “Not only have we created a month for consumers to focus on this important matter, but also we are making available valuable theft protection information that can help consumers change some of the negative behaviors we uncovered in our survey.”



Bad Habits Make People an Easy Target for Today’s Professional Thieves
The survey showed that many Americans have bad habits that make them highly vulnerable to both vehicle theft and associated identity theft. Nearly half of Americans leave mail in their vehicle; one quarter has left a wallet or purse; and nearly one third has left bank statements in their car – all of which contain personal information that can put people at risk for identity theft.

Further, while people exercise good common sense theft protection measures in some areas such as always locking their vehicle (79 percent) and never leaving spare keys (93 percent) in the vehicle, many leave themselves open to thieves. Most notably, a full 33 percent admit that they have left their car running to warm it up, cool it down or run a quick errand – making their car a fast and easy mark for an opportunistic thief. Additionally, 47 percent don’t always park in a well-lit area and nearly 40 percent don’t hide valuables. Further, 36 percent never even think about whether their vehicle might be stolen and nearly 40 percent still think it is the teenager out for a joyride (vs. the professional thief) who is behind theft. These findings emphasize a clear need for education about vehicle theft protection.

“While vehicle theft rates vary slightly from year to year, this type of theft is an ongoing and huge problem, with one vehicle stolen every 25.5 seconds,” said Robert M. Bryant, President and Chief Executive Officer of NICB. “The bottom line for vehicle owners is that information is power – all vehicle owners should learn exactly what they need to do to keep their vehicles safe from organized crime rings and protect themselves from the many hidden costs involved in car theft.”

Few Understand the Real Cost of Vehicle Theft
While 75 percent of drivers recognize that there are costs associated with vehicle theft beyond insurance deductibles and the replacement value of the vehicle, according to the survey almost none (one percent) could identify the full spectrum of those costs. Insurance premium increases, replacing valuables, time spent dealing with police and other related parties, car rental fees, missed work time and costs associated with repairing the vehicle (if it is recovered) are all added to the price tag that a victim of vehicle theft might pay.

Valuable Theft Protection Information
LoJack and NICB have developed a booklet that details the steps owners can take to protect their vehicles from theft. The booklet is available on each organization’s website. To access the material from LoJack, visit LoJack’s Knowledge Center at www.lojack.com/theftfacts. The Knowledge Center also offers facts, tips and tools designed to educate consumers on the “who, what, where” of vehicle theft and theft prevention. To access the information from the NICB website, go to www.nicb.org and click on “Theft & Fraud Awareness.” There, consumers also will find a series of educational publications, fact sheets and posters.

About the Survey
The survey was conducted in April 2007 by Opinion Research Corporation (ORC), an independent research organization based in Princeton, NJ. ORC conducted one of its bi-weekly CARAVAN® Surveys of the American public. Professional interviewers conducted telephone interviews with a representative sample of 1000 American adults.

About NICB
The National Insurance Crime Bureau (http://www.nicb.org) is the nation's leading not-for-profit organization dedicated exclusively to preventing, detecting and defeating insurance fraud and vehicle theft through information analysis, investigations, training and public awareness.

About LoJack Corporation
LoJack Corporation (http://www.lojack.com/), the company that invented the stolen vehicle recovery market two decades ago, is the global leader in tracking and recovering valuable mobile assets. The company’s time-tested system is optimized for recovering stolen mobile assets through its proven Radio Frequency technology and unique integration with law enforcement agencies in the United States that use LoJack's in-vehicle tracking equipment to recover cars, trucks, commercial vehicles, construction equipment and motorcycles. The company’s Stolen Vehicle Recovery System delivers a better than 90 percent success rate and has helped recover more than $4 billion in stolen LoJack-equipped assets worldwide. Today LoJack operates in 26 states and the District of Columbia, and in 29 countries throughout North America, South America, Europe, Africa and Asia.


LoJack NICB Flyer