According to a news article published in the Times of India, “A vehicle was stolen every 13 minutes in the capital in the first three months of the year, marking a sharp 44% rise over the same period last year. Only around 4% of these cars are recovered.”
Keeping this frightening statistic in mind, as a car owner, you need to keep your vehicle secure by installing anti-theft devices. One of these anti-theft device which has been in the market for quite some time is a vehicle tracker.
Architecture
Normally, a vehicle tracker contains three major components – GPS tracking unit, GPS tracking server, and user interface. The tracking system uses GPS tracking technology to collect a variety of vehicle data including its location. Some vehicle trackers even collect additional vehicle information like tire pressure, amount of fuel, engine temperature, battery status, and whether the door is open or closed. The information captured by the GPS tracking unit is stored securely in the GPS tracking server. You can use the UI to access the vehicle information stored in the GPS tracking server.
Types of Vehicle Tracking
A vehicle tracking system can be either active or passive. The passive vehicle trackers record the position of a vehicle through GPS device over a period of time. You can analyze the vehicle data collected by a passive tracker after transferring the data to a computer.
On the other hand, the active vehicle trackers are more advanced and complex than passive vehicle trackers. They transmit real-time location of the vehicle consistently to the server. You can access the location of the vehicle in real time through the UI. Many transport companies use active vehicle tracking to manage their fleet efficiently from a centralized location. You can use an active vehicle tracker to know the location of your car anytime and anywhere.
Usage
At present, vehicle tracking systems are used widely by both individual and enterprise users. Some companies have designed vehicle trackers as stolen vehicle recovery systems. You can use these systems to know the exact location of your vehicle in case it is stolen. At the same time, some companies even manufacture robust vehicle tracking systems with features to simplify fleet management, multiple vehicle tracking, school bus tracking, surveillance, and service personnel management.
Shortcomings
The automatic vehicle tracking technologies used by individual vehicle trackers differ. But most trackers capture vehicle information through GPS. Hence, the trackers can capture vehicle data in real time only when the vehicle is parked in an area closer to a cell tower. If the parking area lacks cell tower access, the tracker will fail to capture vehicle data accurately. Hence, you must opt for a vehicle tracking system which is designed specifically as a stolen vehicle recovery system.
