By Greg Bartlett

Personal GPS tracking through the use of bracelets, anklets, jewelry, and other means is proving its value in many different ways in today’s world. Whether one wishes to track the movements of a child to protect him/her from abduction, keep tabs on a convicted criminal on probation, or follow the progress of a particular musher during the Iditarod Sled Dog Race in Alaska’s wilderness, there is a value to the use of GPS technology for personal GPS tracking.

Many parents have given their children a piece of jewelry with a tiny GPS tracking device inside it for them to wear as protection from getting lost in a crowd or being taken by some of the strange people populating the world. For these parents, the peace of mind provided by GPS tracking more than pays for the service and equipment. This allows them to know that their children are as safe as it is possible to make them in this troubled world.

Courts in many states have instituted mandatory programs of personal GPS tracking of known criminals, especially sex offenders. The value of GPS tracking in these cases is created by the sense of security felt by people in the community when they know that the whereabouts and movement patterns of these individuals is being monitored and that authorities are prepared to intercede if the person begins to exhibit behavior that indicates he/she is thinking of becoming a repeat offender.

Some sports, such as camping in a national park or forest, participating in the Iditarod race in Alaska, and some others take people out of the more civilized parts of the world and place them in the wilderness with only what they are able to carry with them. For these individuals, GPS tracking may very well prove to be a life saver. When a person is far removed from civilization and medical care, an injury can be life threatening, where it would be a minor inconvenience if a person had ready access to an emergency room. GPS tracking devices can be used to guide emergency personnel to the location of an injured party in a timely manner where necessary.

Then there are those rugged individuals who want to follow the running of the Iditarod in real time without having to follow the mushers out onto the tundra. GPS tracking of every musher makes it possible for those with an interest in the event to follow the movements of their favorite contender using a computer connected to the internet.

Altogether, there are many different reasons for personal GPS tracking to be an important part of our lives. These are merely some of the more important and obvious ones.