Rocky Mountain Tracking

By Greg Bartlett

In a world of increasingly higher prices and difficulty obtaining credit, the threat of auto theft grows greater every day. While you faithfully make your payments on time and focus on improving your credit score, someone in the next neighborhood could be planning to help himself to your car. Are you prepared if the worst should happen?

GPS tracking devices can give auto owners peace of mind by letting them know where their vehicles are at all times. These small transmitters will send out a signal that allows police not only to track the vehicle, but also to identify the vehicle as the one that has been stolen. Some units go beyond simple location tracking and offer features such as fuel consumption monitoring, speed monitoring, and even the ability to shut off the engine if the vehicle is driven beyond a specified radius.

Imagine this scenario: You’ve worked hard to save each month for the car of your dreams. You’ve researched all the options, and you’ve even decided to splurge on the all-leather interior. You drive the car home and park it in your driveway, smiling with satisfaction as you breathe in the new car smell and lovingly rub your hand over the steering wheel. The stereo system more than meets your expectations. But unbeknownst to you, someone else has been smiling at the sight of your new car in the driveway, and while you brush your teeth and climb into bed, he’s planning his move. Whether or not this story has a happy ending could depend on whether you’ve taken the precaution of installing a GPS tracking device in your new car. More effective than locks and alarm systems, the GPS tracking device can save you the devastation of losing your prized new car to a thief. The police can easily locate the car simply by following the transmission.

Buying a car is a big investment. You put a lot of energy into protecting that investment. You lock up at night, have a good insurance policy, and always set the alarm. Shouldn’t you give yourself the technological advantage over even the most devious thief? A GPS tracking device can give you the peace of mind that ensures a favorable outcome even if the worst should happen. For more information, call Rocky Mountain Tracking, Inc at 888-242-0500.

By Greg Bartlett

Insurance companies issue policies that reimburse the insured for lost or stolen items. Everyone knows that as a fact. If the insured has full coverage on their vehicle, the coverage includes fire and theft. In a time that every dollar in the family budget counts, how can the insurance premium be reduced? The answer is to install a GPS tracking device in the vehicle. This device will result in lowered insurance premiums.

Insurance companies determine the rates that they charge by the type of vehicle and the location of the vehicle. Some areas have a higher incidence of auto theft than others. Additionally some makes and models of vehicles are more “attractive” to auto theft. The insurance company will provide a lower insurance premium to the customer if they have some assurance that the vehicle will be recovered should it be stolen.

Surprisingly, newer vehicles do not appear on most of the “most stolen lists.” In 2005, only one vehicle made after 2000 made the national top ten lists. The other nine were all made 8 or more years prior to 2005. Owning an “older” vehicle is no guarantee that the vehicle will not be stolen.

Where do these older vehicles go? There are generally three options that a car thief has when stealing an older vehicle. The vehicle is either simply taken for a joy ride or dumped into a lake, river or a deserted area after the joy ride. The vehicle may wind up in a chop shop to be dismantled for the component parts. In many cases the parts that go into the vehicle are far more valuable than the vehicle itself. In the last case, the vehicle can be driven over the border to Canada or Mexico. Another possibility is the vehicle is driven to a coastal port city, loaded into a container and shipped overseas. In any of these three cases, the vehicle is sold overseas at a cost that is far lower than a legitimate vehicle can be acquired for.

A GPS tracking device, once installed on the vehicle can provide authorities the exact location of the vehicle. Once the owner realizes that the vehicle has been stolen, the location of the vehicle can be determined and the proper local authorities can be notified for recovery and subsequent prosecution of the thieves.

This in itself becomes a win - win situation for both the owner of the vehicle and the insurance company. The owner of the vehicle recovers the car and the insurance company does not have to pay a claim for the theft of the vehicle. Due to the fact that the GPS tracking system was installed on the vehicle, a lower insurance premium could be provided to the owner. This lower insurance premium reflects the lower risk should the vehicle be stolen. GPS tracking can definitely save money on insurance premiums.

By Greg Bartlett

You’ve worked hard and finally bought that dream car you’ve always wanted. Now, how can you ensure that it remains safe? Auto theft has become an increasing serious problem in the last few years. In fact, today it is the number one property crime and costs Americans billions of dollars each year. You don’t want your new car to be one of the statistics of stolen cars which are sent to chop shops and destroyed.

GPS vehicle tracking provides car owners with the opportunity to track the movements of their vehicles. Perhaps you’re just interested in finding out where your family members have been, but if your car is stolen, a tracking system may be the best way to find and recover your vehicle.

Police in Fayetteville, Georgia, recently used a GPS vehicle tracking system to follow a stolen car, leading them to a woman who ran a chop shop. Not only were police able to recover the stolen car, but they also found parts to at least nine other stolen vehicles.

GPS vehicle tracking was able to lead the police to the barn where the chop shop was located, where they arrested the woman in charge. Without the tracking system, the stolen car would have been just another stolen vehicle, another bunch of parts to be processed through the chop shop. But the tracking system enabled the recovery of the stolen car and stopped the perpetrator from further automobile theft.

A tracking system can be the answer to your problem, too. How do you protect that new car and make sure it isn’t stolen and destroyed in a chop shop? If your car is stolen and a tracking system isn’t installed, chances of recovering the vehicle are not very high. Police simply may not be able to find it before it is taken apart in a chop shop. But if your car is stolen and you have installed a tracking system, the police can find and recover your vehicle before anything happens to it. The tracking system may even help the police in recovering other vehicles stolen by the same person who stole your car.

There are obviously some basic security measures you can take to ensure the safety of your car, such as locking the doors. But if your car is stolen, whether or not you locked the doors will be of little consequence. GPS vehicle tracking, however, can provide that extra level of security and is the surest way to help you recover your car should it ever be stolen. For more information about GPS, visit http://www.RMTracking.com.

By Greg Bartlett

Insurance companies have long recognized the value of GPS tracking in aiding the recovery of stolen vehicles. In fact, most insurance companies offer substantial savings to their customers in the form of lower premiums if they have a GPS device installed in their insured vehicles. Allstate Auto Insurance Company is now going a step further in an all out effort to reduce the number of car thefts that take place in this country. They are donating cars equipped with a great deal of high tech equipment, including hidden cameras, GPS technology, and remote kill switches, to 14 cities in the nation that have a high rate of automobile theft.

Nobody but the local police forces in these cities will know what make or model of car is set up as a bait car. The goal is to put a car in a position where it will be tempting to would-be thieves. As soon as the car goes into motion, the GPS tracking device alerts police nearby who can attempt to stop the car. If the thieves attempt to flee, the officers can trigger a remote kill switch that will shut down the car’s engine and effectively stop it. The GPS data log and the images recorded by hidden cameras will be used as evidence when the case goes to court.

This is a more proactive approach to the use of GPS tracking in the deterring of car thefts. However, if the bait car is tempting enough, thieves may find themselves hooked and reeled in with record ease because of the ability of police to locate the car and follow its movements, no matter what time of day or night the theft occurs.

GPS auto tracking has been used as a tool for tracking and recovering stolen cars for quite some time now. In this case, the technology is being used as a deterrent and a method of catching thieves by placing bait in front of them and making the catch when they attempt to steal the car rather than waiting until after the damage is done. And, of course, this program is sponsored by a large insurance company who has a vested interest in reducing the number of cars stolen as a step to reducing the number of dollars they pay out each year in claims that arise from vehicle thefts and damages that occur as a result of thefts.

By Greg Bartlett

Federal bean-counters are trying to track your movements. Sound like the plot of a bad thriller? Unfortunately if a proposed highway infrastructure funding plan goes through it will be a sad reality. Newly appointed Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood suggested one way that the government could raise funds for highway repairs would be a tax based on how many miles drivers drive. To monitor the driving habits of Americans would require the widespread implementation (re: mandated installation) of GPS tracking devices in vehicles.

Let’s review a little background about how GPS tracking works. A device is installed in your automobile communicates with three orbiting satellites to triangulate your position. That information is then either stored in the unit for later use or transmitted to a monitoring center. GPS has become a huge business with many companies offering tracking services to consumers who are worried about auto theft for a monthly subscription fee.

The proposals put forth by a Congressional special committee are looking at two main points to compensate for a shortfall of $8 billion dollars. 1) Raising the current gasoline tax to 28.4 cents (10 cent increase) and diesel tax by 15 cents (totaling 39.4 cents) per gallon, and/or 2) taxing on a “vehicle-miles-driven” tax model. The concern of the committee is that as more fuel-efficient vehicles are embraced by consumers that the revenue generated from gas taxes will not be sufficient to fund necessary repair and expansions of the nation’s thoroughfares.

While the need to have money to ensure our safety while driving is undeniably important, the message being sent may be wrong-headed. There seems to be a hinted condemnation of these more environmentally-friendly cars, as if the funding shortfall is a result of the population’s desire to protect the environment and not a fiscal responsibility placed upon consumers by unregulated oil price gouging.

Beyond the anti-environmental aspect of this proposal there is the very real privacy concern. Giving the government permission to track our every movement is a dangerous slope. It is one that we should not start down without very careful scrutiny over who will have access to the information and how it will be used. As a service, GPS tracker entered the mainstream consciousness to provide peace of mind, now if the government is allowed to proceed down this path it may be a tool used to rob us of that comfort.

The good news is that although Ray LaHood is a member of the Obama administration the White House has clearly voiced its disassociation with this plan. Although the president does not endorse these initiatives it is still important for voters to ensure that their representatives know that this is unacceptable.

By James Neely

As GPS Tracking becomes more of a reality, the fact is that not all vehicle manufacturers provide this service. And, since one rarely purchases a vehicle solely on the basis of whether this system is included or not, it is more than likely that you will have to provide for it from your own vantage point.

Enter a GPS Tracking system for your personal vehicles. The affordability factor has never been better, and you can save money on your insurance policy by purchasing one of these systems. Insurance companies like to insure vehicles that have them installed because their potential for loss is reduced greatly. Because of this, your premiums can go down dramatically.

Manufacturer Theft Deterrent Systems. While manufacturers’ systems are admirable and often sophisticated, they cannot prevent all thefts. The best vehicular bandits know how to disable them in just a few seconds. Face it there are no 100% theft-free vehicles. And, in addition to this, if you own a vehicle that is high on the list of thieves’ targets, then you are at high risk. You need more help to prevent a theft than manufacturers’ systems.

Tracking and Recovery. Instantly, your vehicle becomes traceable with one of these GPS Tracking systems. The authorities can be notified of a theft within minutes. And, their response time is short given that they would rather solve the crime instantly instead of having the theft drag out into a long case which may never be solved. The thieves who are the best at what they do take these stolen vehicles to a chop shop right away take it apart in order to sell it in parts on the black market. The best defense is to be able to provide a location instantly to the vehicles whereabouts which maximizes your chances of getting it back intact.

Neither disabled nor disconnected. These GPS Tracking systems are not disabled even though they might be disconnected from battery power. They maintain their connection to you so that you can track them and provide the location to police. This secret can provide the needed time for the authorities to arrive and confront the perpetrators.

Never before has there been a better time than right now to make a purchase of a GPS auto theft vehicle recovery system for your personal vehicles. With economic times as they are, desperate people turn to desperate measures to get what they want. Call Rocky Mountain Tracking today at 1-888-242-0500 or online at www.RMTracking.com to help insure yourself from becoming a victim of auto theft.

By Greg Bartlett

If you have a car, you should be concerned with car theft. There are many things that you can do to prevent your car from being stolen: ignition locking systems, steering wheel locks, installing an alarm, etc. But what can you do after the car has been stolen? If you had a GPS tracking device installed on your car, you could simply call the monitoring company and have them contact your local police department, then simply wait for your car to be returned to you.

GPS systems comprise of a small communication device in the car which communicates to a reporting center via satellite communication. Three orbiting satellites are accessed to triangulate the location of the device and then that information can be passed on to law enforcement. There is an initial investment on the tracking device itself and then a monthly subscription to have your car monitored. GPS tracking has proven to be very successful in improving stolen car recovery, and as such many insurance companies offer discounted rates to car owners who have installed the technology.

Although, auto theft has been on a decline since the mid-nineties it is still a very common occurrence. Hundreds of thousands of cars are stolen every year; don’t allow yourself to be further victimized by never getting your car back.

If your car does get stolen, having a GPS vehicle recovery device can not only ensure that it is found and returned to you, but it may also minimize damage. Police do not have to engage in pursuit of the vehicle. They can remain a safe distance back and follow until the car is parked. This can even lead to the apprehension of suspects wanted for more serious crimes (narcotics, organized crime, etc). GPS tracking used in this manner will also decrease the likelihood that your car will be “chopped” for parts.

So far, there have been no statistics published that detail the effectiveness of GPS tracking devices in returning stolen cars. But the technology has been adopted by numerous police departments throughout North America - to bait criminals into stealing cars equipped with this technology. Numerous auto theft rings have been broken up in exactly this manner. If the police trust these devices, don’t you at least owe it to yourself to research them further?

There is a lot of literature available on these gadgets. Read it, read the marketing materials of the different companies which offer this service to consumers. If you believe that GPS tracking will improve your peace mind, then I am sure that you will find a GPS vehicle locator service that will also protect your wallet.

By Greg Bartlett

Auto theft is of concern to any car owner. Our cars are the second largest single purchase we will make, and need to be protected. One way of combating the staggering numbers of auto theft is to install a GPS tracking system in your vehicle.

GPS systems work by transmitting a signal to a reporting centre. There are two types of GPS devices currently available for vehicle tracking: data pushing and data pulling systems. Data pushing systems report the position of your vehicle at regular intervals. Data pullers, on the other hand, have to be activated remotely and can send their location as requested. You can think of the two systems like this, pushers are like a steady flashing light, while pullers can be flipped on and off repeatedly as needed. Both systems send data to centralized location that can then be relayed to police services as needed.

Auto theft has been on the decline in Canada since 1996, but still accounted for one of the most active criminal activities in 2007. That year there were 146, 000 police reported cases of auto theft, a decrease of 9% from the previous year. Of cars stolen in Canada 63.6% are recovered and returned to the owner. GPS can help to improve this number and speed up the process of recovery, which would lead to fewer damages to the automobile2.

Currently there are no solid statistics for auto recovery rates when real time gps vehicle tracking is used, however the similar technology Lojack has a reported recovery rate of 90%3. LoJack operates by broadcasting an FM signal directly to receivers that many jurisdictions have installed in police cars.

Police services can only benefit from greater inclusion of these types of vehicle tracking devices, as stolen cars can often lead to perpetrators of more serious crimes. In Canada, police report an 11% rate of closure on cases involving vehicle theft. The recovery rate is so much higher, because most cars are stolen by young offenders out for a joy ride. With GPS, police would be able to more quickly close in on the vehicle which would in turn improve the likelihood of apprehending the perpetrator.

Widespread use of GPS could also prevent the average 40 deaths and 65 injuries annually that are directly related to auto theft. Police could follow a stolen vehicle from a safe distance, improving public safety by allowing police to avoid high speed pursuits.

GPS auto tracking systems tend to be value packed gadgets. They offer maps and navigation services, as well as local business listings (this depends on feature set of model), as well as providing tracking service. Just in saved time alone, these devices can pay for themselves very quickly.

By Elizabeth M. Hachet

It’s seven-thirty-five in the morning, and you’re about ready to drive to work. You’ve checked your pocket for your car keys, you’ve checked your pocket for your wallet.

You glance at your watch, and realize it’s eight o’clock. You grab your hot cup of coffee and fly out the door to where you parked your car last night, wondering how fast you can legally go so you can make it to your destination on time. You pull the car keys from your pocket and look up.

Then you realize one thing: Your car is gone.

Car theft happens every day, and it can happen to anyone at any time. Before you think it can’t happen to you, look at these shocking statistics: The FBI Uniform Crime Reports show that a car is stolen every 26.4 seconds in the US; the odds of your car being stolen are 1 in 207 – which doesn’t sound like a lot, but it is. Western states had the largest car theft ranking, placing the car theft ranks at 36.8% out of all the US state; the South placed second at a still shocking 34.6%.

In the year 2006, 1,192,809 cars were stolen, leaving most of them with the hope of never recovering their cars again. Only 12.6% were recovered by arrests in the year 2006.

There are a few things you can do to make sure your car isn’t one of the ones snatched, like keeping the car doors locked and making sure there are no valuables in sight. Just that alone is not enough, as thieves can easily break into your car. If you think buying an old car will keep you safe from those pesky thieves, you’re wrong: the most common cars stolen are usually the older models.

So what is the easiest solution?

There are no easy, quick-to-be seen solutions. There are some preventative measures you can take, though: Always lock your car doors, don’t keep any valuable items in your car, and if you have the opportunity, park your car in a garage instead of on the street.

But what if the car does get stolen? What then? Is there any hope?

Police are great at investigations and tracking down items, but not everything gets found. A great solution to look into is GPS anti theft device. When you place a GPS on your car it can be tracked online and you will have a much easier time recovering it. Although GPS is not a solve-all, it makes it much easier for the police to be able to track down your vehicle and it can help solve the crime.

There is a true, but embarrassing story about valet parking. A man gave his car keys to the valet parking staff and asked them to park his car. When the man came back the next morning, his car was gone. The worst part was that it wasn’t even his car; it was his mother’s car. The valet staff searched all over the parking lot to no avail. The police searched for it as well, roaming the streets. When it was finally found a year later, the police came to this shocking conclusion: it was in the parking garage the whole time, much to everyone’s disbelief. If the man had put a GPS anti theft device on his car the entire incident could have most likely been avoided.

GPS is a great way to help solve auto theft. It can also deter a theft before it even happens. Furthermore, it will help the police track down your vehicle much faster because you will be able to track it’s every move from your computer. The reality is that many people become victims of auto theft, but few recover their vehicle in the same condition it was in, if at all due to the time lapse during the investigation and recovery period.

By Elizabeth M. Hachet

You just turned 16. It’s the best day of your life: you get your license! Your parents paid for it. Maybe you paid for it. It’s your birthday present. It’s the only birthday present you’ve ever wanted, because it’s all so spectacular. You LOVED having your permit, and you can’t wait to drive. Welcome to teen driving, an awesome, exiting thing! Your parents hand you the car keys; your eyes dance in excitement. “Thanks, Mom, Dad! I love you!” you shout as you swirl around the room.

Your child just turned 16. It’s the absolute worst day of your life. You hand them the car keys, your hands are shaking. You hope your teen and vehicle both come home unharmed. “Just don’t wreck it, please,” are the words that come from your lips. Your teen smiles, looks at you, and replies, even swaying with confidence a bit, “Don’t worry, Mom, Dad, I’m experienced. It’ll be okay. After all, you drove with me for six months. You know how great I am! I won’t wreck it. Don’t worry about a thing!” Suddenly, the tension overrides your control, and you pass out.

Teen driving is a scary and exciting for the teen and parent. The teen enjoys the freedom, and the parents are relieved they don’t have to be the chauffeur anymore. Few teens realieze the worry they put parents through. When they don’t come home late at night and their teenager won’t answer the phone, parents often begin driving from one friend’s house to the next looking for their child. This not only creates more worry, but also embarrassment. As a result, some parents are buying GPS personal tracking devices to put in their teen’s vehicle. This allows them to easily go online to any computer and see their current location, how fast they have been driving, if they have been wearing their seat belt, if they have had passengers in the vehicle, etc.

For adults, teen driving is a scary world. It doesn’t matter how much you trust your teen, when you get on the road with them, it’s a whole ‘‘nother world. It involves many hours of you sitting, yelling, “There’s a car right there! Look out! There’s a car right there! Swerve, swerve! Look out! There’s another car! Don’t turn now!”

Although many teens love driving and take to it naturally, it’s still a paranoid time for all parents, as it should be. Teen driving is the leading cause of death among teens. Drivers in the age 15-20 range account for 12.9% of all drivers in fatal accidents. Just knowing those statistics alone is enough to make every parent quiver in fear when they hand over the keys.

Your teen will not always “drive safely.” There will be times when your teenager will pull a 0-60 when going directly from a red light. Sometimes your teen could even accidentally run a red light. Accidents happen, but it only takes one to be fatal. After all, as stated earlier, drivers in the 15-20 age range account for 12.9% of all fatal crashes.

Driver’s Education is important, but it does not reduce the need for additional training and monitoring. Unfortunately, the problem is that so many crashes involve the driver’s attitude, not their skill. According to The Insurance Institute For Highway Safety, “Training and education don’t change these tendencies. Don’t rely solely on driver education. High school driver education may be the most convenient way to learn skills, but it doesn’t produce safer drivers. Even graduated licensing doesn’t attempt to modify driver behavior directly.”
The two primary factors that cause teen auto accidents are immaturity and inexperience, which can not be taught. One way to monitor a teen’s driving without having to constantly sit next to them is with a GPS teen tracking device.

There are many ways you can help your teen drive safely. First, set a good example by driving safely yourself; although teens will not acknowledge that, many teenagers look to their parents for wisdom, and guidance. There are also many websites which offer helpful advice to both teens and parents.

http://www.teendriving.com/index.html has many helpful tips on how teens can be safer when they drive, such as getting to school early to avoid the “mad dash” that comes in and out, and going slowly (mostly so you don’t run into anyone.)

http://life.familyeducation.com/teen-driving/teen/32797.html is another webpage. This one is directed for parents helping the teen’s drive, as apposed to teens helping themselves drive. It states that clear, concise limits are good, and needed.

http://www.statefarm.com/learning/be_safe/road/teen_tips.asp has some rules that all parents of new drivers should read, such as limiting a teen’s nighttime driving, sticking to the speed limit, and NEVER driving under the influence of alcohol. It also says it’s best to avoid bad weather (as most teen drivers are inexperienced).

http://parentingteens.about.com/cs/teendriving/a/drivingteach.htm has many different tips for parents who are panicked about their teen getting their permit and getting on the road.

There are also various websites that help you decide if your teen is ready to drive a car, like http://www.lhj.com/relationships/family/raising-kids/is-my-teen-ready-for-a-car/. According to this article, when your teen proves they are a responsible driver, they’re ready. (Note that this article is for parents whose teens have already had a permit.)

Teen driving is scary, exhilarating, and mind-boggling. It’s one of the things a parent fears the most. It’s what every teen wants to do, and if they haven’t mentioned it, they’ve thought about it. Most will post a calendar, counting down the days until the magic 16, when they will say, “Can we buy a car now?”

If your teen is soon to be a driver, it’s your job to carefully go through different information and decide if you want driving. When you make a decision, stick to it. If your choice is that your teen can’t get a permit until they obtain a 3.0, then so be it.

No matter what the choice, it will be trying, so be informed. Although teen driving is dangerous, driving when you’re an adult can be dangerous, too. However, teens are likely to engage in risky behavior, such as: speeding, not wearing a seat belt, passengers in the vehicle, night driving (9pm - 6am), alcohol, following other vehicles too close, passing inappropriately, & driver error. Young drivers tend to overestimate their own physical and driving abilities and underestimate the dangers on the road.

It’s a good idea to have all your information before you make a decision. Your teen will benefit from having experience before they go out and get a license when they’re 18. Not only that, but a driving class is required, which is great for your teen in helping them to gain learning skills.

If you decide to not allow your teen to drive, that is your choice. It is a case-by-case situation, depending entirely on the teen’s maturity and experience. If you do not feel comfortable with their driving, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

If you do decide to let your teen drive at a young age, as the parent, you have an obligation to protect your child from harm. One way to teach safe driving is with the implementation of a GPS teen tracking device. Whatever choice you make, stick to your guns and be proud of yourself for being an informed parent on the issues of teen driving.