Prevention or Recovery which is Better for Auto Theft?
By JAMES NEELY / guest writer
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â James is a freelance writer for Rocky Mountain Tracking based in Fort Collins Colorado, a provider of GPS tracking products, software and accessories. For information about Rocky Mountain Tracking, Inc. visit www.RMTracking.com.
Vehicles are becoming more difficult to steal with the proliferation of theft deterrent devices as well as recovery methods. Current statistics bear this out. But, the biggest draw for the theft of vehicles is that they are a high ticket item.  And with little to no investment into the theft process, the profits are huge. That applies whether the stolen cars are parted-out or sold to foreign markets.
The war against auto theft is waged on two fronts: prevention and recovery. Which of these two should be given the higher priority or emphasis? The answer is that there must be equal advancement of efforts on both sides. Even though that does not happen, what is true is that these two methods must be used together to present a strong defense against auto theft.
The Prevention Side
Leading the way in prevention is the OEM devices that are installed on vehicles. These have been in place for years and do provide a modicum of success in the prevention of auto theft. But, because they have been around also means that thieves have developed methods to defeat them. The newest method involves the use of GPS Navigation systems that are installed by certain vehicle manufacturers. The best reason to have one of these is because it provides instant location of the car no matter where it is located. The vehicle can be disabled remotely making it impossible to move under its own power. The biggest down fall of this system is that it can be defeated by simply disconnecting the main power cable from the battery. Also, it does nothing if thieves have the car towed as opposed to driving it away. One other downside with GPS Navigation systems is that there is a built-in verification system that adds time to the whole process. When a vehicle is stolen, time is of the essence in getting it back.
Aftermarket vehicle theft prevention products focus on disabling the vehicle or alerting the area with an audible sound. There is still a lot of merit to the hidden kill switch which renders the car dead to attempts to break the steering column and start the vehicle with no key.
Recovery Methods
Once a vehicle is stolen, instantaneous actions need to be taken to recover it before it reaches a chop shop or theft deterrent devices are discovered and disabled. No system is completely impervious to intervention, so the element of surprise must be employed. That is where GPS Tracking devices take their place as the most effective in the recovery process. The fact that these units are being used successfully by owners who are obtaining support from insurance companies further cements their place. Lower premiums are a reality.
Stealth is in their arsenal, too. These units can continue to send out a beacon even after a battery cable has been cut. And using creative hiding techniques helps insure that thieves are unaware of their existence until it is too late.
Working in tandem, prevention and recovery continue to have an impact on lowering auto theft rates. And, now with the cost of GPS Tracking units lower than ever, there is no excuse for not buying and implementing them. It just makes sense.
Tags: gos trackign, OEM, prevention, recovery, stealth, stolen cars
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