Detroit (WWJ)  -- General Motors' newest gadget looks to put the brakes on car theft.  GM and OnStar launched Stolen Vehicle Slowdown Thursday.  OnStar can send a signal that automatically slows down the car's engine, making police pursuits safer--and more effective.

Chet Huber, OnStar president, said in a press release, "Our subscribers have told us they don't want their vehicle to be the instrument of harm."  Stolen Vehicle Slowdown will help take high speed pursuits out of the equation, as well as the probability that a subscriber's stolen vehicle will be crashed during a chase, according to OnStar.

 "Prior to Stolen Vehicle Slowdown, there were only three ways to stop a police chase; the officer elects to terminate the chase, the vehicle being pursued decides to stop or in the worse case scenario there is a crash," said David Hiller, national vice president, Fraternal Order of Police, in a press release.  

The Slowdown system will be on more than one million GM vehicles for the 2009 model year.

The service is included in the OnStar subscription that comes standard for one year on eligible model year 2009 OnStar-equipped vehicles.