All types of vehicles should be equipped with a GPS tracking device in order to ensure their protection. This system is used to locate your vehicle in case it gets stolen. Read more about what can happen if you leave your car unattended in the following article.
It’s easy to steal a car
The Independent mentions that in central Dublin a man around 40 years old broke into a car that had a baby inside and drove it away, without knowing the infant was there. The man then stopped to dump the baby on the pavement after realizing the infant was in the car and continued to drive the stolen vehicle. This was possible because the baby’s parents went inside their house only for a moment, but they left the infant in the automobile with the engine running. This means that your car is never safe to leave unattended, even if it’s only for a few minutes or seconds and even if it’s right outside your house.
Criminals can also steal locked cars
Locking your car and taking the key with you doesn’t offer your vehicle much protection from criminals anymore. That’s because relay theft, also called keyless car theft, is becoming more and more common these days. It refers to a way of stealing vehicles without using physical keyfobs. Keyless fobs have transceivers that send and receive coded signals.
Cars and keys send unique signals to each other in order to lock and unlock doors. Doors can be locked even when the key is quite far from the vehicle but unlocked only when the key is near the car. Thieves are able to access your keyfob’s signal and open your car in this way. They use this technology to their advantage in order to break into your car and steal your belongings.
GPS tracking devices
People stand a better chance of getting their car back in case of vehicle theft by installing GPS trackers. The systems work by sending signals that are then received and processed, in order to track the device’s location. Tracking software consists of 3 elements: space, control, and user. There are 27 satellites (24 operational and 3 back-ups) that the Global Positioning System uses, which orbit the Earth every 12 hours. They send microwave carrier signals to tracking stations, which are located all around the globe and control the system. The receivers translate the signals into relevant data and information, such as live speed and location, in order to find the exact location of the user.
Other ways to protect vehicles
Even though trackers are the most efficient way in which people can ensure their vehicle’s safety, there are some things drivers can do to protect their cars from thieves. They are the following:
-Being careful regarding parking
Parking in unlit spots makes cars become easy targets for criminals. Drivers should always try to find safe places to park their cars. Another thing people might do is get both surveillance cameras and movement-activated spotlights for their driveways at home.
-Hiding belongings
There are some criminals that don’t even want to steal the actual cars, but what’s inside them. People might not have anything valuable inside, but to a thief, it may look like they do. This is the reason why drivers must hide their belongings in the car’s boot and glovebox.