A number of revolutionary inventions in the automotive industry and large-scale production of affordable automobiles led to a large number of vehicles along the roads. However, with the rise in the automobile production and consumption, automobile security concerns have conjointly raised. Apart from cost and quality measures, security and safety of a vehicle are also being considered of prime importance for its owner. People are now looking for a foolproof mechanism in their vehicles for growing car theft issues. However, having the knowledge of the vehicle’s whereabouts increases its chances of retrieval by many folds even after being stolen.

To keep the knowledge about all the happenings associated with the vehicle, equipping the vehicle with a vehicle tracking is a good idea. Vehicle tracking devices are invaluable tools for monitoring a single or even an entire fleet of vehicles.

How it works

Vehicle tracking is generally achieved through an installed tracking hardware which records the speed, location and the direction of the vehicle. The tracking data is sent back to the user and then transformed into useful information via various mapping software applications and reporting tools. This information can be utilized by the owner to view the vehicle movement and related information

Types

Based on the functionality, vehicle tracking systems are categorized as active and passive systems. A passive system doesn’t provide the real-time information, but rather stores data like GPS location, speed and heading on the tracking unit. This data is fetched for evaluation once the vehicle returns to a preset location. Passive vehicle tracking is generally used to verify driver activity such as route verification, billing, etc. An active tracking system is used to track more than one vehicle through the internet in real-time. It also provides the same data, but transmit it in real-time through satellite or cellular networks to a computer or data center. Some tracking systems have both active and passive tracking facilities. A person should analyze his/her needs before deciding on a passive or active tracking.

The application areas

The vehicles are tracked commonly by commercial fleet operators to manage a fleet of vehicles and meet customer needs more efficiently. Fleet management functions such as dispatching, routing and security are accomplished by tracking vehicles. Urban transit agencies use this system for monitoring schedule of buses and for activating recorded announcements. The behavior of the driver can also be monitored by this system. Vehicle tracking is also used as a theft prevention and stolen vehicle recovery. It can serve as an addition or alternative for traditional car alarm

Through a tracking device, vehicles can also be tracked for monitoring the fuel and to calculate the distance traveled by the vehicle.