If there's anything Holden and Ford fans can agree on it’s that nobody wants their car stolen. Unfortunately, the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon, two Aussie icons, have consistently been included in the top 5 most stolen cars in Australia for the past few years (source: NMVTRC).
For a car enthusiast, a car is more than just a means of transportation: it’s your pride and joy and their livelihood. The question is: If your car has been stolen, how will you recover it? The answer is simple: A GPS tracking device like Black Knight®. Here are four reasons why car enthusiasts should invest in one.
Commodore and Falcon, favourites among Aussie car enthusiasts and thieves.
(Commodore Photo via WikiMedia Commons. Ford Falcon photo by Sicnag. Alterations by MG. Via WikiMedia Commons)
Other Security Measures are Not as Effective
We tend to ignore car alarms because they are obnoxious and when triggered it’s more often than not a false alarm. Furthermore, they are not standard in every vehicle. Immobilisers are compulsory in Australia and prevent thieves from hotwiring and driving off with your car. While they have undoubtedly helped in reducing car theft, they are easily thwarted if the thief has your keys – something that’s easier to steal than your car.
A car equipped and marked as being tracked with a GPS will deter thieves and significantly lower the chances of your car getting stolen. A GPS tracker will periodically give you updates on your car’s location, and with geo-fencing it can alert you if there has been unauthorised movement of your car. Even if a thief removes or disables your tracker, it can alert you of any power disconnects and your car's last known location is still a valuable lead for the police.
Covert
By installing a GPS tracking device that's either wired directly to your car's battery and hidden out of sight, or simply plugged into the OBD-II port, a thief won’t know they are being tracked. Furthermore, GPS tackers don’t interfere with your car’s internal systems, nor can they gather and send information about your car, so you won’t notice a difference in your car’s performance.
If you are worried about other people tracking your car: GPS trackers work on a device to device system, meaning they can and only be tracked by you and designated devices, like your phone, tablet or personal computer. It is illegal for police, government agencies or any third party to track your car. Only when your car is reported as stolen and you provided your tracker details to the police can they track your vehicle.
Inexpensive
Generally, a GPS tracker is financed through a monthly subscription plan that costs about half as much as a cell phone plan. Considering the value of your car, the peace of mind it offers of knowing that your car can be swiftly recovered far exceeds any ongoing costs.
Since a GPS tracker is as an anti-theft device, your insurance provider could potentially offer you a lower premium, if you show your car has one installed (check your insurance provider for details).
More than a Security Measure
A GPS tracker can log every trip you make, giving you the speeds you were going and the distance you traveled. This data can potentially help you monitor your fuel consumption and help you plan more efficient trips in the future.
With the data logged by your GPS tracker, you can show off to your friends and family where you went on your latest road trip. Or, you can share your tracker details and let them follow your trip in real time
GPS trackers are the best security measure to recover a stolen vehicle. They are precise, with the ability to give you real-time updates. They remain hidden from plain sight and are only trackable by yourself. They are inexpensive, and they may potentially reduce your car's running costs. Like the dash-cam a GPS tracker is an essential for every car enthusiast. If the worst happens to your pride and joy, you can rest easy knowing it can be easily tracked and recovered.