No one thinks they’ll be the victim of a skilled car thief until it’s too late. Suddenly, you’re stuck in a panic, wondering who has taken your vehicle and what their illicit plans are.
In 2018, the National Insurance Crime Bureau stated as many as 7,000 vehicles were stolen in some of the highest-theft states. It’s a more common crime than many of us would like to believe, and it can happen to anyone under the right circumstances.
Fortunately, the stolen vehicle recovery rate is 59.1 percent for vehicles that are stolen locally. Many cars are found and returned by local law enforcement with the help of evolving auto security technology, including automated license plate readers and on-car tracking systems.
Did you know that an auto security system could help you recover your car if you’re the victim of a crime?
GPS Tracking Increases the Likelihood of Recovery
We’re starting with the obvious: auto security systems with tracking abilities have made it easier for law enforcement, and owners, to figure out where their missing vehicle has gone. However, the benefits of GPS security in your car extend beyond that basic understanding.
Not only can you follow along as your car moves away from the scene of the crime, but you can also set alerts through your GPS to warn local law enforcement as soon as any unauthorized use happens. The device could be triggered by use at an odd hour or an alert that goes off once the vehicle leaves your set “geo-fence.”
This kind of alert could prevent the criminal from taking the car very far (or anywhere at all), boosting the likelihood of immediate recovery.
The great thing is that GPS systems are nowhere near as pricey as they used to be. Installing one is an easy way to ensure your car is theft-proof without overspending on pricey technology.
You Need Real-Time Tracking
When your vehicle is stolen, you don’t have time to try to find out where it’s gone. Stolen cars are often taken to chop shops, which means you have days (maybe hours) to figure out how to retrieve it from the thieves.
With a GPS that provides real-time tracking on your vehicle, you can instantly whip out your smartphone, locate the car as it moves, and alert authorities to its path. Within hours, maybe minutes, you’ll have your vehicle back, hopefully in the same shape in which you originally left it.
Preventing Your Car from Being Smuggled
Just recently, the Port of Baltimore was found to be a hub for stolen vehicles to be smuggled out of the country. The US Customs and Border Protection officers in the area set a record in 2019 for recoveries of stolen vehicles. They not only recovered them but also prevented fraudulent and stolen cars from being exported overseas.
“When a car is stolen, the thieves hurry to put the vehicle in a container and ship it overseas as fast as possible,” according to Adam Rottman, the area port director. “That’s where high-tech auto security systems come in handy. The faster police can find a vehicle, the less likely it will disappear forever.”
Can Thieves Outsmart Auto Security Systems?
There’s no doubt about it: car thieves are growing more sophisticated, and as a result, many traditional vehicle trackers have become less effective than they used to be. However, as thieves grow more sophisticated, so does tracking technology.
Tracking systems are no longer wired into a small device in your car, truck, or motorcycle. They’re integrated into your car’s system and rely on global networks rather than signals that could be blocked by a determined thief.
The Latest Anti-Theft Improvements in Auto Security
Imagine that your vehicle has been stolen.
Don’t you wish you could see who is behind the wheel? What they’re saying and who they’re calling?
Well, you might be able to in the near future. A new parking monitor for inside your vehicle, Vava’s Dash Cam, can be spun around to record drivers and passengers, and audio is captured inside the car at all times unless disabled immediately.
Vava isn’t the only company embracing more video techniques – just look at all of the doorbell cameras, motion detectors, and face scanners that are popping up everywhere. It hopefully won’t be long before an auto security system can track and identify thieves quickly.
Tesla has also taken vehicle security and tracking to the next level by allowing people to monitor their car from a simple app that’s totally password protected. Thieves can’t disable the tracking unless they have the passcode—which is why Teslas are probably 90 percent less likely to be stolen than the average car.
Despite constant auto tech innovations, we’re not yet at a point where we can assume your car will be safely protected or found if stolen. Now is the time to ensure you’ve implemented proper GPS tracking capabilities to alleviate any concern about future incidents.
Thousands of vehicles are stolen by skilled criminals every day. It doesn’t matter if your car is brand new or old as dirt—it can still be the subject of a crime, especially if you haven’t taken measures to ensure catching the thief will be possible.
Modern auto security systems can track down stolen cars and help law enforcement recover them quickly, but only if they’re correctly installed. Unless you’re driving a new Tesla that comes automatically equipped with real-time, password-protected tracking abilities, you’ll need to do your homework to protect your car from would-be thieves.
Sandy Funches is an experienced content writer and blogger by profession, currently associated with NM Auto Press, New Mexico’s premier auto publication. If you are looking for a locally listed brand new, or used cars for sale in Albuquerque, NM Auto Press is the best option for you. Follow her on twitter @sandyfunches.
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.
