OnStar is a great service and, at times such as accidents and crashes, it can be a life saver. Unfortunately you need to own a GM vehicle manufactured in the last decade to be able to use the service. A new device dubbed Splitsecnd has changed that.

Splitsecnd is a dongle that plugs into your cars cigarette lighter and just sits there and waits to be triggered by a crash. Upon being triggered, the device uploads your location to emergency services and, much like OnStar, a company rep will contact you to check if you are safe, seriously injured, or unconscious and will relay the information to authorities.

SplitSecnd also comes with an emergency button that lets you dial 911 in the event of a medical emergency, or something like a attempted car jacking. The unit retails for about $200 and includes a $15 monthly service fee. My question is, why do we not have a similar system in every car manufactured today? Such a simple and cheap addition could save thousands of lives annually.