When protecting your vehicle’s security, having a car alarm monitoring system is a great way to ensure that you’re protected for most emergencies. According to a recent study, a car is stolen every 24 seconds here in the United States. Many cars, especially older models, are not equipped with a security system sophisticated enough to defend against experienced car thieves. Installing a GPS locating system on your vehicle can allow you to track your car’s location after it is stolen, also giving you the ability to alert authorities to its location.
GPS Locators
There are many different GPS locating devices available to help track your car after it has been stolen. One of the more established companies that specializes in vehicle tracking systems is LoJack. LoJack has a 24 hour return guarantee on any vehicle that is equipped with their tracking system, since their transmitter is extremely hard for a thief to find. However, LoJack costs around $700, and may not be a cost-effective option for many vehicle owners.
A standard GPS locating device for a vehicle consists of a small transmitter that can be placed or attached to the interior or exterior of a vehicle. If you are installing a GPS transmitter to the exterior of your vehicle, be sure it is resistant to extreme heat, cold and moisture. When placing a transmitting device inside your vehicle, try to choose a concealed area where it would be difficult for a thief to locate and remove it.
With GPS locating devices, you may have to pay a monthly fee for using the tracking service. This is usually included in devices that feature a “travel history” which allows you to see where your car has traveled over an extended period of time. This feature can be useful for theft prevention, but may also be useful in monitoring teen drivers.
OnStar Monitoring
In an accident or other emergency, you may be too scared or disoriented to act quickly. With a monitoring service such as OnStar, the system can be programmed to take care of alerting the authorities to your location and situation. OnStar can also take care of other non-emergency situations, such as making hotel reservations, turn-by-turn navigation, or activating hands-free calling.
OnStar is available only as a factory-install, which means it can’t be included in every vehicle. However, as of 2007, General Motors has made OnStar services a standard feature in all of their new models. OnStar is a subscription monitoring service, which means that it does have a monthly charge. However, with many new vehicles, the first year of OnStar is included in the purchase price of the vehicle.