By Greg Bartlett

The sale of GPS devices, including vehicle tracking devices, has greatly increased in the last twenty years. What started out as unheard of technology is now commonly known and used around the country and even around the world. Interestingly, in the same time span that sales of GPS devices skyrocketed, the number of car thefts was cut in half. Coincidence? The facts say ‘no.’

The Federal Bureau of Investigation names three contributors to this dramatic drop in car thefts. One is vehicle tracking devices. A second reason is the better enforcement of the police. And finally, power disabling systems have been influential.

Vehicle tracking devices have helped to deter would-be car thieves. Thieves know that many cars are now being monitored with vehicle tracking devices, and professional thieves do not want to ruin their entire operations by stealing a car with a tracking device. All it takes is one car with a tracking device to bust open an entire car theft operation. If a car with a tracking device is stolen, the owner can provide the police with the current location of the vehicle within a few feet and continue to update them on its location until the car is recovered. Geo-fencing capabilities of vehicle tracking devices can also notify owners that their car has left a particular location before the owner even realizes that it has been stolen.

Law enforcement officers have become more efficient and more effective throughout the years, thanks to many new technologies. Since most car thefts are done by professional car thieves, police officers have a better chance of catching these criminals than if they were just one-time thefts. The police officers also use vehicle tracking devices to make their job easier.

The third reason that car thefts have been reduced in the past twenty years is that new vehicles are usually equipped with power disabling systems. These systems require a special coded key to be used to start the car. Hotwiring the car, which has been a popular method for car thefts in the past, will not work for these vehicles, because the starter, ignition, and fuel line are all disabled until the coded key is used. People can also further insure that their vehicle is not stolen by purchasing and installing ignition immobilizers. When these are turned on, the car acts like it has run out of gas and the vehicle coasts to a stop. The car thief no longer has the ability to drive the vehicle, he can only steer and brake until the car comes to a stop.

With the help of vehicle tracking devices, your car is not only less likely to be stolen, but more likely to be recovered.