OnStar Makes It Easy to Be a Good Samaritan

When OnStar Member Janine Oblak came across a downed tree blocking the road during a heavy rainstorm, she was stumped. She’d previously pushed her red Emergency button* to report a driver who was swerving as they switched lanes and driving dangerously. But was a downed tree something she should report?

“Is this really one of those things that I need to call in or can I wait?” Janine, who lives in the Greater Toronto Area, wondered as she weighed her options. She considered trying to drive around the tree, but knew her car would most likely get scratched by the branches. As the rain continued to come down, Janine worried another driver might crash while trying to avoid the tree.

She decided to push her red Emergency button and spoke to an OnStar Emergency-Certified Advisor,* letting them know where she was and what was going on. The Advisor was grateful Janine had pushed the button and confirmed that reporting something blocking the road was a perfect way to use her OnStar service and be a Good Samaritan. After assessing the situation, the Advisor contacted 311 (the City of Toronto’s service number) to report the problem, so local authorities could quickly and safely get the tree out of the road.

Travelling with OnStar makes it easy for Members to be Good Samaritans, just like Janine. So, how can you become one? It’s easier than you think — all it takes is pushing the red Emergency button and reporting what you see to an OnStar Advisor, who can alert First Responders. Because without Members pushing the button, First Responders might not know there’s an emergency in the first place.

There’s no restriction on what you can report to be a Good Samaritan. It can be something as serious as a car crash or medical emergency, a dangerous situation like a downed tree or power line, or even something as simple as coming across a stray pet. You can even request help for other motorists who don’t have OnStar.

Take these stories of other OnStar Members, for instance:

• Member Jennifer Ferguson saw a car crushed by an 18-wheeler on her way home. Thinking fast, the nurse pushed her red Emergency button to report the crash to OnStar and then she sprang into action, assisting until the paramedics arrived on the scene.
• When Member Blair Smith saw a car fire on his drive home in northern Ontario, he reported the situation to an OnStar Advisor, helping First Responders get to the scene quickly.

As you can see, it’s easy to use OnStar to help others and make a difference. “I’m so grateful that the Advisors are making sure that I’m safe out there,” Janine says. So if you see a problem out on the road, being a Good Samaritan is as simple as pushing the red Emergency button and requesting assistance.