GPStraq

by Greg Bartlett / guest author

GPS vehicle tracking provides many car owners with the ability to keep an eye on their vehicles remotely, whether at work or at home. Benefits such as the ability to watch not only the location of a car, but also it’s speed, fuel usage, direction of travel and number of stops can give owners invaluable information if a car is stolen. Parents can also use the technology to monitor the driving habits of their teenagers, hopefully nipping problem behaviors such as speeding and reckless driving in the bud before they escalate.

Some owners will be interested to know, however, that they may not be the only ones monitoring the location of their vehicles. Car lots have begun including GPS technology in the cars they sell and using the tracking capabilities to locate cars whose owners have defaulted on their payments. Both rental car companies and dealers routinely make use of GPS vehicle tracking to keep tabs on their vehicles they own, making losses due to theft much less likely. Repossessions of vehicles can be accomplished much more easily as well, since the dealer or finance company just needs to activate the tracking device in order to locate and take possession of the vehicle.

While this type of monitoring has helped car dealers by reducing losses, the potential for privacy violations may concern some consumers. One disgruntled former employee of a Dallas auto dealership decided to seek revenge on his company by disabling engines and setting off horns on cars that were purchased from the business. While no one was injured, the potential for moving cars to have their engines disabled remotely should raise red flags for both companies and consumers. One possible solution would be to limit access to the GPS tracking information to certain employees only, and to change passwords regularly so that former employees no longer have access to the system.

Although GPS vehicle tracking can present tricky situations such as this one, the benefits for most companies far outweigh the risks. Monetary savings in the thousands of dollars mean lower operating costs for the company and in turn, lower prices on consumer goods. As the technology continues to evolve, consumers can expect more applications in both the personal and business realm.

GPS vehicle tracking should be a consideration for any company maintaining a fleet of vehicles and for consumers wishing to prevent theft. The technology could garner significant savings, making other fund allocations possible.

About the author: Greg Bartlett is a guest author who specializes in writing about GPS technology and has earned two master’s degrees.