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By Greg Bartlett

Last year, I bought my first car.  Like any car buyer, there were a lot of things to consider.  Year, make, model, mileage, condition, and so on.  Once I had finally figured all of that out and purchased my car, I proudly drove it home and began to use it to drive to work and school.  I hope it will be there for me to use for many years, and not just because of good mechanical condition.  I hope it won’t get stolen.

Car Thieves and GPS Tracking

First time car owners aren’t the only ones that worry about their cars being stolen, although they may sometimes be more aware of the issue since their first car may have more sentimental value than the car of someone who’s owned a lot of cars.  Still, all owners would like to keep their cars and trust that they’ll always be there to use when needed.

One of the most reliable ways for a car owner to be positive about a car’s location is to use a GPS tracking device.  A GPS unit can track a car’s every movement, noting current and previous locations, including speed and length of time at each stop.  Other GPS tracking devices allow owners to only activate them in the event the car is stolen, and then to locate the car in real time.  Police can then go to the location, recover the car and, hopefully, catch the thief, too.

Many GPS tracking devices are small enough that they can easily be hidden away where no one can find them easily.  Thus, if a car is stolen, the thief will probably not be able to find and remove the device before the owner locates the car and notifies the police.  Furthermore, GPS tracking devices can often be set up to allow owners to cut off the engine if the car is stolen.  Thieves can’t get very far if the engine isn’t running.

Statistically speaking, the chances of recovering a stolen vehicle are slim, and some areas of the country, like California, have higher auto theft rates, while some cars, such as Honda Accords and Civics and Toyota Camrys, are more likely to be stolen than others.  For car owners in these areas or owners of these cars, concern for their car’s safety is high.  Like me, they hope their car won’t be stolen.  With GPS tracking devices, that hope can become much more trustworthy and much more likely to be true.