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By Greg Bartlett

GPS tracking devices continue to contribute to the nation’s decreasing auto theft rate, according to a study by a leading research group. A national organization that helps instruct about crime released its annual auto theft report last week, which includes data on the most commonly stolen types of vehicles in the United States.

The top reported target for 2008 was the 1994 Honda Accord. The newest model vehicle to make the top ten list was the 2004 Dodge Ram Pickup, coming in at number five. Researchers say the vehicles stolen most often represented a perfect storm of vulnerability and scrap value. The vehicles included in the report featured outdated security systems and expensive parts. Car thieves find it easy to profile those particularly attractive vehicles.

However, thanks to improving technology and the efforts of law enforcement, car thefts in 2008 were reduced to less than a million, possibly the lowest number in twenty years. If preliminary numbers are to be believed, this represents a decrease of 13.1% from the previous year. These figures coincide with a decrease in the overall crime rate, but caution and technology have certainly played an important role.

There are four recommended layers of prevention to avoid the loss or theft of your vehicle. One of these is of course the installation of a GPS tracking device. The benefits of knowing the location of your vehicle at all times are obvious. The location data may be transmitted silently and relayed to your computer, letting you monitor the position of your vehicle in real-time. Even disregarding the possibility of car theft, a GPS tracking device can provide peace of mind to parents worrying over young drivers. But clearly, a simple, inexpensive tracker will allow you to provide law enforcement the information they need to recover your vehicle in the event of theft.

Other ways to hamper would-be car thieves are mentioned, as well. Locking your car when you exit may seem like a simple step, but a surprising number of people forget. Also, a warning device which triggers when your car has been tampered with is an effective deterrent. More and more people are investing in immobilizing devices, too. These include kill switches of all kinds – anything which prevents car thieves from starting and driving off with your vehicle.

As GPS tracking devices become more integrated into our day-to-day lives, we can begin to see their simple yet profound benefits apply over a wider scale.