Rocky Mountain Tracking

by James Neely, freelance writer: click | HERE | to check out GPS products from Rocky Mountain Tracking

From California comes a story which reveals that the state is getting ready to roll out speed sensors on red light cameras at major intersections.  Debate is formulating whether or not this is another way that the government is impinging on personal rights while it seeks to raise revenue from speeding tickets without the overhead of having to pay police to do the job.

Another troubling thing about this is that the fines for speeding that are generated from this activity have been proposed to be from $225 to $325 for each violation.  The money generated from these fines would be shared among cities and counties in which the infractions occurred.

How to Fight Back

Slow Down: The first thing that drivers must do when faced with these actions is to drive the speed limit and no more.  If you are not in violation of the law, you will avoid staying out of trouble.

Maintenance Check: Make sure that your speedometer is accurate.  It is your responsibility to insure that your speedometer is working correctly so that you do not get false readings which can lead to tickets.  One way that you can check this is to request the local police to visit your house, and then have them clock you on their radar unit as you drive up and down the street.  Be sure to ask if the officer’s radar unit has been calibrated recently.  They are known to drift from their settings due to the temperature extremes that police vehicles are often placed under.

Radar Detectors? Some will argue that radar detectors are the way to go, but these have an inherent problem:  most radar units are set to power up and emit signals immediately before they track your speed.  This means that radar detectors will not be able to “see” the radar until it is too late.  Will this type of radar unit be used in these situations?  It remains to be seen.

Better Yet: Consider adding a GPS car tracking device to your vehicle.  These units are always on and always tracking and can provide speed data which you can use to prove your innocence in a court of law (as long as you were really abiding by the speed limit).  It has been done before and you are well within your rights to use this method to keep from having to pay the fine and court costs along with the ensuing points that go onto your record.

In reality, the fine and court costs can approach the cost of a GPS car tracking device.  Furthermore, you will probably be entitled to a break on your insurance premiums when you do install one of these units.

Finally, do these red-light cameras and now the radar units attached really reduce unsafe driving activities?  That remains to be seen as the data is not available to support that premise.  But, one thing remains clear, the primary purpose appears to be making money, not making the streets safer.

GPS car tracking devices will help you keep a close watch on your vehicles and those who drive them.  What better way of helping to reduce the possibility of getting a ticket than with closer monitoring and instructing those who drive your vehicles to be aware of their actions at all times?  It just makes sense.

By Greg Bartlett

We often talk about the amazing new ways that GPS tracking is aiding law enforcement. Officers all over the country have used GPS trackers to follow suspects, track drug shipments, and keep tabs on parolees. However, a recent case highlights the ability of GPS trackers to keep some over-zealous police in line.

Garath Powell was driving near Bristol, UK last November on a street marked with the limit of 50mph. A police officer staked out near road A4174 used his laser gun to clock the man at 61mph, a speed well worth pulling over. Powell took the ticket, but he was nearly certain that he had stayed below the limit. Thankfully, he had installed a GPS tracker on his vehicle, and that gave him an idea. He called the tracking company and asked if they could provide him some speed and location data at the point in time he was passing the officer. Navman Wireless, a GPS company that operates in the UK, gladly gave Powell the information he needed.

As it turns out, the GPS tracker logged him as going no more than 48mph in the 50mph zone. Somehow the officer had clocked him wrong. Powell took this information to the hearing, and a Navman technology official came along to serve as an expert witness. The Notice of Intended Prosecution was torn up, and the case was thrown out. Though Powell’s prosecution was only dismissed this past October, nearly a year after the initial ticket, his case will set a clear precedent for incorporating data from personal GPS trackers into a body of evidence for the defense.

Whether or not the officer’s assessment of Powell’s speed was an accident, this will likely encourage the use of GPS trackers in vehicles, if only to provide an extra bit of information during a dispute. The case certainly highlights the accuracy of these devices, even when compared to the standard laser gun, whose accuracy is subject to a variety of environmental factors.

Of course, the efficiency of GPS trackers can be less than helpful to speeding drivers. Parents in both the UK and the US have discovered the benefits of keeping tabs on their younger drivers’ speed. Instead of searching for peel marks on their driveway, Mom and Dad can now just place a worry-free GPS tracker under the dash. The accuracy and efficiency of GPS tracking can keep almost anyone in line.

By Harriette Halepis

Gareth Powell, a Bristol, England, resident was driving down a major highway on November 28th, 2008, when a police offer pulled him over, and proceeded to write him a ticket. In this type of situation, most drivers would have questioned whether or not they had, indeed, been speeding – but not Powell.

Powell knew that he wasn’t speeding. Not only is he a caution driver that never speeds, he also had a GPS tracker in his car that day. In addition to tracking Powell, his GPS tracker was also able to keep track of how fast he was going.

After contacting the GPS tracking company that manufactured his tracker, Powell found out that he was, indeed, within the speed limit on the date in question. During Powell’s court hearing, he presented the GPS tracking evidence to the court.

The court immediately threw out Powell’s ticket on the grounds that his GPS tracker was precise – he simply wasn’t speeding that day, and he had documented proof. Many people are given speeding tickets on a regular basis, but most people do not have a GPS tracker inside of their cars.

If Powell had not taken the time to purchase a GPS tracker, he would have been forced to dole out a large amount of money to pay for a traffic crime that he didn’t commit. GPS trackers can do a lot more than track your vehicle – in the case of Powell vs. the city of Bristol, a GPS tracker can prove your innocence.

by James Neely, freelance writer: click | HERE | to check out GPS products from Rocky Mountain Tracking

Ask yourself this question:  when you are driving, what is the first thing you do when you see a police car?  If you answered push the brake pedal, you are in the majority of drivers.  Why is that?  We are programmed to automatically assume that we are doing something wrong and need to clean up our act.

If you are a little on the ‘heavy-footed’ side of driving, the chances are high that you have gotten more than your share of speeding tickets, right?  It does not matter the amount of your violation in terms of mph, the cost is usually over $100 per violation.  That is a ridiculous, but you cannot do anything about it.  Or can you?

You can continue to pay those expensive tickets, or you can purchase a GPS Tracking device for your vehicle which can help provide court-admissible evidence of your actual speed.  Here’s why this is important and how it can help you.

Radar Units are Not Perfect

Radar units are sensitive pieces of electronic equipment that are susceptible to heat and cold.  The changes in temperature for any and all electronic devices can cause inconsistency in their operations.  When it comes to accuracy, the manufacturers of these devices have a maintenance schedule to which these units must be held to make sure they are functioning correctly.  When you get a ticket, you need to know whether or not the unit in question has been maintained properly.  If not, it is grounds to have your ticket thrown out of court.

But, there is an even more effective way of disputing a ticket with a GPS Tracking device.  You can use the history of these devices to tell you whether or not you were in compliance with speed limits.  If not, pay the ticket and go on.  If your reading differs from that of the unit that clocked your speed, you have a right to go to court and present evidence which can have the ticket thrown out.

Police are Not Infallible

When the police officer tracked your speed with a radar unit, were you in traffic or alone on the road?  If there are other vehicles around, who is to say that you were the one speeding?  Did he maintain visual contact with your vehicle after he clocked you for speed?  If not, then how does he know it was you that he tracked?  Was the reading on his radar unit for your vehicle or one that he tracked earlier and gave a ticket to?  Police officers are not infallible and you need to make sure that they have the right vehicle and that the speed was indeed what they said it was.

GPS Tracking can help you by providing evidence of where you were on the day that you were given a ticket.

Speed Traps Exist

Everyone knows that there are certain speed traps that you must either avoid or slow down when approaching throughout your community.  Local police set up in familiar locations from time to time when they realize that they do not have enough money coming in to the coffers to meet operating expenses.  This should be illegal, but it isn’t.  GPS Tracking units can help here, once again, in providing evidence of your innocence or guilt after you are cited for a moving violation.

You Have Rights

Since moving violations are so expensive, there is merit to fighting them in order to keep the points off of your license.  You have rights as a citizen in making sure that the charges against you are valid.  And you can request a jury trial if necessary.  But mostly that is not needed.  Just having your ‘trusty’ GPS Tracking device can help you avoid these problems.

Also, make sure that you do your best to obey posted speed limits and other laws governing drivers actions.  Chances are, you will not have get any tickets, but in case you do, better be safe than sorry that you didn’t have a GPS Tracking device to help you.

Rocking Mountain Tracking has the best line-up of GPS Tracking Device to meet any need.  Take a look at their products and options for the best fit for your business.  You will find knowledgeable sales persons in helping you get the best unit to meet your requirements.

By Greg Bartlett

Insurance: it’s a necessary, but sometimes frustrating expense. Premiums must be paid each month and a wide variety of circumstances can cause rates to increase. Sometimes these circumstances are beyond the consumer’s control. If your car is stolen, your insurance may cover the loss, but you can be sure your premiums will skyrocket. Wouldn’t it be nice if insurance companies would reward good behavior by decreasing premiums rather than reacting to claims with increases? Believe it or not, some insurance companies are willing to work with customers in this way and GPS vehicle tracking can take much of the credit.

Vehicle tracking devices transmit a signal which gives the location of the vehicle or item they are attached to. Some models have the ability to transmit other information as well, such as fuel consumption and speed of a vehicle. Insurance companies use this information to monitor the habits of drivers and adjust their rates accordingly. This is most commonly utilized by companies insuring fleets of commercial vehicles, but as GPS technology becomes more widely used, more companies will be willing to work with individuals as well. In addition to lowering rates on the front end, vehicle tracking devices can also keep rates from increasing by enabling better and faster recovery of stolen vehicles. The fewer claims that the insurance company has to pay out, the lower the consumer’s rate will be.

While the initial investment in GPS vehicle tracking may seem steep for a company that owns multiple vehicles, still, the cost savings over time ensures that the technology will be well worth the investment. Some companies reported tens of thousands of dollars in savings over the course of a year due to GPS tracking. We have all groaned over the increase in insurance when a teenager begins driving. Because teens are high risk, insurance companies jack the premiums through the roof. With GPS vehicle tracking, however, teens with good driving records can be rewarded with reduced insurance rates—and Mom and Dad may be more willing to hand over the keys on a Friday night.

Most people recognize the necessity of insurance. Those same people often wince at the high premiums coming out of their paychecks every month. GPS vehicle tracking devices may be able to lessen the pain by providing greater knowledge of the driving habits of each driver on the policy, thereby giving both insurance companies and consumers a reason to smile.

By James Neely

Have you ever been involved in a vehicular accident in which there was a dispute surrounding the details about who was at fault and how fast the vehicles were travelling? If you have, then you realize how invaluable it would have been to be able to substantiate your position with irrefutable evidence. You can with a GPS tracking system installed on your vehicle.

In a court of law, evidence can be entered when it is obtained from many sources including eye witnesses. But what if there is more than one witness and their testimonies are inconclusive or in conflict? It makes your case more difficult to prove. But, if there are no witnesses then you could be left without a witness to validate your defense.

A GPS car tracking device provides you the following evidentiary information that can help you in your court case.

Location. Where was your vehicle? A GPS tracking device can pin-point the exact location to within several feet. And those few feet can mean the difference between being in the right, or wrong. When it comes to being able to see whether or not you were in your own lane, the cost becomes a non-issue.

Time. What time was your vehicle at the location? Timing is critical in an accident especially given the speeds on our streets and roads. It means the difference between placing you in an intersection or a few feet before or beyond it.

Direction. Which way were you travelling when the accident occurred? Does the opposition maintain that you were going south when you were really going east? Or, even more importantly, was your vehicle going straight through an intersection or were you turning at the time?

Speed. Even radar units can fail if they are not properly maintained. And that goes for the stationary units that are being used at intersections and along busy highways. A GPS tracking system provides accurate speed data to refute faulty equipment or down-right fabrications in an effort to convict you in error.

All of this can save you not only money in any judgments against you, but you can also save money on your insurance as well. This translates into you keeping more of your money and who does not need that these days.

Investigate the benefits of a GPS car tracker today and make sure you are covered with an extra measure of protection while you are driving. You will not regret it.

By Greg Bartlett

The Charleston School District in Charleston, South Carolina has found a new way to track expenses for the district. Several of the district’s employees are carrying two way radios equipped with GPS tracking technology that allows the district to follow their movements while on the clock. In some cases, this has led to conversations between employees and supervisors about how much time is spent on certain tasks. School officials can also tell if employees are speeding in district owned vehicles when traveling from one location to another.

The primary reason for adding the GPS tracking capability was a problem with the way the school district paid overtime to its employees. The devices chosen give the employees the ability to clock in and out remotely using their radios to provide the district with accurate details on when they are or are not working.

According to the district management, the devices are not used to track the movements of employees when they are not on the clock. This is an important fact because the question has been raised about whether these devices constitute an invasion of privacy. The predominant legal opinion is that as long as these devices are only used to track movements of employees while on the clock, there is no invasion of privacy. Supervisors have the right and the responsibility to know exactly where their employees are working at any given time during the work day.

Several other school districts are looking at implementing a similar plan in the near future. While placing devices in vehicles is much more common than in radios, this system works for those employees who may have to drive their own personal vehicles to perform certain job related services. It also assures them that they will receive proper reimbursement for the use of their own vehicles.

One thing that is under serious consideration is adding GPS tracking for better fleet management of all the school buses in the district. This step would allow the district to monitor the driving habits of all its bus drivers and better ensure the safety of the students who are on the buses.

Public schools are beset by expenses that can often make them operate at a deficit. This has been the case with the Charleston School District for several years. Some question the viability of the GPS tracking program, but the school superintendent says that he may cut other expenses, but he will fight to keep the GPS system in place because it does show where a lot of wasted money is being spent and help to control expenses.

By James Neely

Do you drive a vehicle that looks like it is going fast even when it is sitting still? Do you know that you can become a target of authorities just because of the type of vehicle you drive?

This is the ugly side of law enforcement that is visible to the public. Your vehicle has been ‘profiled’ by police. Maybe not officially, but when on patrol, officers have an instinctive reaction to seeing a ‘fast’ car. Be on the watch.

No one doubts the role that speed limits have on our streets and highways. But, let us have an honest discussion about speed limits. There are those zones which exist solely for the purpose of catching violators.

Put these two together (fast cars and speed traps), and you can have a costly combination. In addition to this, radar units can and do fail. One question that must be answered by police departments is “when was the last time the radar unit was calibrated?” If they are not calibrated to manufacturing specifications regularly, then any tickets that are handed out based on those readings can and should be thrown out of court. There are many other mistakes that officers make, such as, clocking the wrong vehicle, mobile vs. stationary radar interferences , etc.

But, from a more practical side, there is a way to provide evidence of speed limit compliance. A GPS vehicle tracking system can provide reports that will substantiate your actual speed at a given location and time. These reports are admissible as evidence in court and can help prevent points from being placed on your license because you can generate evidence that you were not speeding.

Traffic court is an interesting place. You are given your time in front of a judge, but most of the time, the process is a big display of how a system that is overcrowded fails miserably. The best approach to take is to bring your evidence with you to court to show the judge what your reports say.

It is not uncommon to have charges thrown out in these courts if you have solid evidence to the contrary from what you are being charged. A GPS tracking system makes this a reality.

A well-balanced, responsible driver will not intentionally disregard speed limits while traveling about. But, it never hurts to have that extra measure of assurance to help you in case you are ever in the position of needing it. Better it is to have it and not need it, rather than need it and not have it.

By Greg Bartlett

Your teenager is about to get his first driver’s license. You have some concerns about this; you remember well how you drove when you first got your license. A friend mentions to you in conversation that you can get a device that will tell you where your teenager and their car are at any time. This sounds like a good solution; however, which GPS tracking system do you buy?

When you bought your car you did research on which vehicle best fit your needs. When you are purchasing a tracking unit, you also need to do some research. Fortunately, by using the Internet, research is relatively easy when looking for a unit that will fit your needs.

There are several considerations in buying one of these units. How much data do you need? Obviously you want to know location but do you also want to know speed and engine data? Do you want to be able to view the data in real time or is data stored in the unit and downloaded at a later time satisfactory?

As with any other product, the more options that you select the more expensive the unit becomes. At some point critical choices must be made due to budgetary considerations. Once you have decided which options you desire, those options should be prioritized to enable you to meet the most critical concerns while still staying inside your budget.

Once you have decided upon 2 or 3 units that will meet your expectations find and read reviews on the units. These reviews will provide you the user experience of others and provide you more data to make your final decision.

When you have finally decided upon a GPS tracking system, you often have the choice of installing the unit yourself or having the installation done by a professional. One thing that you can be sure of is that your new driver will eventually know it is installed in the vehicle. Even the most covert installation will be uncovered once you provide the new driver the data that you have recorded about their driving habits. Having the data is only beneficial if you can modify the driving habits of the new driver. Presenting the data to the new driver will reveal the installation of the system in their vehicle.

There is no one best GPS tracking unit on the market. Each of the systems has benefits and drawbacks. Some systems will provide more information than you need some won’t provide enough. Only diligent research will provide you the material that you need to make the final decision, which GPS tracking system is right for you.

By Greg Bartlett

Time Speed Distance rallies are car races which are conducted on the open, public road. Usually there are many cars and they have to be started on a time delay, in a staggered fashion. These are very complicated races. The competitors, usually a driver and a navigator, have to follow instructions given out by the rally master. These instructions can be of the form: ‘drive in as straight a line as possible’ or, ‘turn right on the next road.’ The winner is the car who achieves the lowest score. That is, they follow all the instructions exactly and incur no points at all.

In the olden days, the winners were calculated using extremely old fashioned equipment such as maps and slide rules. Marshalls along the length of the track took time and location readings. These were conveyed to the race organizers. Later computers and calculators were used to work out who was the elusive zero-hero. Complex equations and calculations and expensive and delicate on board odometers were used.

A GPS tracking system is not only useful for finding the position of something, but also for tracking its movement across a certain distance. They work by using signals from satellites in space which transmit exact data at synchronized intervals. Because each satellite transmits the signal at exactly the same time, a receiver on Earth can judge its location by extrapolating differential information.

The Time Speed Distance rallies need to have absolutely accurate information to be useful in judging who has won. Each distance and time recorded must be precision correct. Arriving early is just as bad as if the drivers arrive late. Just such computations can be worked out using GPS tracking technology. Initial tests have been conducted to compare the tracking technology with data provided by the expensive on-board odometers. By conducting these tests it was hoped to examine whether GPS tracking can work out accurate enough data in real-time.

It has been found that both systems can provide incredibly accurate information which can be used to compare two cars and see which one has won the race. The only difference has been that the on board odometer is very expensive and does provide real-time information, but this all happens after the race has been run and computers are used to perform the calculations. Using real-time GPS technology, the winners can be decided seconds after the race has been run.