General Motors (GM) has announced the release of a new anti-theft device, which should prove entirely effective in halting any would-be car thief in their tracks.

In news that should be welcomed by the car insurance industry, GM's OnStar service will be able to slowly halt a car that is reported stolen - and it may even be able to operate the vehicle's radio to tell the thief to give up because the police are on their tail.

Currently, OnStar finds around 700 to 800 cars per month thanks to its global positioning system. With the new technological add-ons, it will be able to call police and inform them of a stolen car's whereabouts.

If officers then see that the car is in motion and judge that it can be stopped safely, they can then send it a signal via mobile phone that will slowly bring the car to a halt.

"This technology will basically remove the control of the horsepower from the thief," OnStar president Chet Huber said. "Everything else in the vehicle works. The steering works. The brakes work."

"If the thief does nothing else, it will coast to a stop. But they can drive off to the side of the road," he added.

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