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By Greg Bartlett

Have you ever needed to stop by at a store for just a minute?  You know the item you need is on the shelf right by the door, and it’ll take you thirty seconds to run in there and check out.  Surely it’s not worth it to park what feels like a quarter mile away.  Or maybe all you need to do is pick up your kid, and you just need to go in the doors and catch his attention.  Circling the parking lot looking for a spot just isn’t appealing – it’ll only take a second to go inside, so it won’t hurt to leave the car running while you dash in?  Surely nothing will happen.

GPS Tracking & Auto Theft

Maybe, but maybe not.  It’s possible that some enterprising individual will seize the day – and your car, along with any valuables inside.  One man in Kansas recently had exactly that happen, but he was able to recover his vehicle through the use of GPS tracking.  If your car is stolen, whether from the curb or from a parking space, a GPS unit can help police track your vehicle, capture the thief, and recover your car.

Leaving your car running at the curb may not be the best way to avoid car theft, but a car can be stolen from a parking spot, too.  It could even be stolen from your driveway.  No matter where your car starts, the important thing for you is finding out where it goes.  A GPS tracking device will be able to tell you were your vehicle is in real time, including its speed and any stops it makes.

Once a car is stolen, recovery rates are not high.  The FBI Uniform Crime Report claims that only about 57% of stolen cars are recovered.  With GPS tracking, however, recovery rates can jump to 90%.  Since the tracking units are often small and can be easily hidden, thieves do not have the time to locate the device and get rid of it so that they can hide the car completely – at least, they don’t have time since the police and the owner will be tracking the car’s current location and the thieves won’t be able to just park somewhere and hunt for the device.

Wherever you leave your car, it’s important that it’ll be there when you get back.  Locks and alarm systems will help, but they can’t always protect your vehicle.  GPS tracking is a valuable aid to help you find and recover your car should it be stolen.