Email

By Greg Bartlett

Every year, millions of cars are stolen. Some are taken by teenagers looking for a joyride while others are stolen by professional thieves looking to strip down the car for all valuable parts. I recently purchased a car, and, like most automobile owners, I have no wish for my vehicle to be stolen. So it’s worth it to me to make sure that my car is protected.

There are some basic things I can do to help protect my vehicle, such as locking the doors, not leaving valuables in plain sight, and parking in a well-lit area. But there are other options available for further protection. For instance, I can use GPS systems to track my vehicle and to immobilize it if it is stolen.

GPS systems can help protect your vehicle from being demolished for parts if it is stolen. Police can use GPS devices to track and locate your vehicle, stopping the thieves from stripping down your car. Recently in Florida police apprehended two teenage girls who stole a car and a wallet. Because the vehicle had a GPS tracking device installed, the police were able to locate the car, pull it over, and arrest the car thieves. The car and wallet were then returned to the owner.

GPS systems which immobilize your vehicle can also be helpful. For instants, students in Canada recent developed a program so that if your car is stolen, you can text message a GPS device installed in the vehicle, letting it know that the car has been stolen. The car’s computers will then respond as if the car has overheated, forcing the driver to slow down and pull over quickly. The vehicle will then shut off and the GPS device will send its location to the owner, who can notify police. By forcing the car thief to slow down and stop before power is lost, the vehicle is protected from any accidents caused by sudden stops, and since the vehicle’s location is transmitted to the owner, the police can recover the vehicle and hopefully the capture the thief as well.

I can take basic measures to protect my car, but for even better protection, I can use a vehicle tracking system to ensure that if my vehicle is stolen, it can be tracked, immobilized, and recovered, ensuring that my property is protected and that my car will be available for me to use to transport me where I need to go.