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eTyres care about our customers. The
following article may be of interest.
GPS Vehicles Tracking
by Frank Hague
GPS monitors have a multitude of legitimate uses, but
have also generated controversy as they further diminish
privacy. Some customers of car rental companies have
complained that their movements have been tracked
without their consent by the installation of GPS vehicle
tracking systems in rental vehicles. However, the
positive uses of this technology have, at least so far,
outweighed the negatives.
Fitness enthusiasts use GPS tracking devices to measure
distances remaining in marathons, and back-country
hikers use them to prevent themselves from getting lost
(or to facilitate rescue if they already are). Police
can enforce restraining orders and parole conditions by
stopping criminals from stalking victims and being in
neighborhoods (such as near playgrounds) where they are
forbidden. Lost and stolen vehicles can be located with
the touch of a button. Parents can use GPS vehicle
tracking to check on teenagers' driving habits to make
sure these inexperienced drivers are not speeding or
otherwise endangering themselves and their passengers.
And GPS in-car navigation systems can guide drivers
through unfamiliar terrain to their destination.
Information Loggers (Passive Tracking)
These basic systems are for companies or individuals who
seeking a record of an asset's or even person's
whereabouts during a given time period, without the
ability or cost of real-time tracking. These are useful
for fleet management.
GPS vehicle tracking eliminates moonlighting with
company vehicles. It reduces accidents and lowers
insurance premiums by promoting safe employee driving
habits. GPS vehicle tracking creates reports of miles
driven by each vehicle. Fleet management will reduce the
company fuel bill and increase miles driven per gallon
of fuel. Some GPS systems even have maintenance modules
to inform the fleet manager when each vehicle is due for
an oil change or tire rotation.
Real Time (Active Tracking)
This allows the user to watch the progress of the
persons or assets travelling in real-time from their PC.
This option is more expensive because of the costs of
devices, programs and air-time charges for communication
between the PC and the asset. It is used, for instance,
by a taxi company to dispatch the closest available
vehicle to a customer.
In Europe,some of the most popular in-car tracking
systems are the Tom-Tom Navigator, Magellan Roadmate,
Navman and Garvin. They range in price from five hundred
to a thousand dollars, depending on what features are
chosen by the user.
TomTom GO 300 offers the most easy-to use GPS system of
travel planning throughout the UK. This award winning
private navigation program is a portable, cable-less
design that fits in any briefcase, handbag or even
backpack. TomTom GO 300 is ideal for any car driver. It
is easy to install, just plug in, switch on and drive
away. There is no need for a PC link, in fact no
technical knowledge is needed at all. It fits simply
into the included car mounting kit, which is easily
attached to the car dashboard or windshield. It is
extremely easy to opertate: just turn it on and users
can instantly access all the programs, maps and colour
3D navigation views, as well as voice-guided
instructions in their chosen language. It has a touch
screen interface to avoid fumbling with multiple buttons
or extra devices while sitting in traffic. The touch
screen is totally intuitive and the entire route can be
planned with just a couple of screen taps. The features
of this user-friendly system along with its relatively
low price (around 700 dollars) has made it a hit with
consumers.
Others, such as the Magellan Roadmate, are slightly more
difficult to use but also come with a database of maps
and local attractions such as restaurants.
In North American, the most popular brands are Garmin
and Magellan.
Selecting the Right GPS Unit for Your Needs: Handheld vs
Dash-Mounted
When selecting between a handheld unit versus a
dash-mounted unit for your vehicle, consider whether you
may want to use it for any other purpose, such as
boating or camping.
Pros and Cons of Dash-Mounted GPS Units Advantages
Larger screens with better resolution which are simple
to read at a glance even in poor lighting conditions
More sophisticated models have features such route
recalculation if the driver diverges from the planned
route
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Larger buttons for ease of operation while driving
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Unit is securely attached to your vehicle to thwart
theft
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Some units have voice instructions that communicate
distance, street names, and direction of the next turn
thus keeping the driver's eyes on the road instead of on
the screen
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No batteries needed, runs off car battery
Address lookup capabilities
Some units have a individual address book to store
locations for quick and simple search
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Advanced mapping capabilities
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Better reception outside the city
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Boosts car resale value
Disadvantages
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Difficult to remove from vehicle if you decide to use it
elsewhere
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Larger footprint in/on dashboard
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Too large for use by bikers, kayakers or hikers.
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More expensive
Hopefully this advice will help you find the best unit
for your needs among all the different GPS vehicle
tracking units available.
About the Author
Frank Hague does not have a GPS vehicle tracking device
yet. http://www.gps-vehicle-tracking.info |
