OnStar Tests System That Lets Owners Track Cars

Parents will be able to track the travels of their teenage drivers under a system being tested by General Motors’ OnStar system.

The system, called “Family Link,” lets the owners of cars and trucks equipped with OnStar log onto a website to find their vehicle’s location at any time. Owners also can sign up for e-mail or text message alerts on the vehicle’s location.

“Our subscribers have asked us for a solution to help them stay connected to their family when they’re on the road,” said OnStar President Linda Marshall said in a statement. “What parent hasn’t asked their teenaged driver to call or send a text when they arrive somewhere, only to not hear from them?”

The program will be tested with 10,000 OnStar subscribers, then the company will decide if it will be offered to all of the system’s 6 million customers.

It will be offered at no additional cost to subscribers. OnStar’s main plan costs $18.95 per month.

GM made the announcement Monday at an auto industry conference in Traverse City, Mich.