In a recent news story, police were able to apprehend a criminal who stole a van because the van was equipped with a GPS tracking device.
A felon spotted a van that was property of a county in New York state and hopped in for a ride. As you probably know some crimes are planned, but many are simply crimes of opportunity. An idling van, an open door…these are the kinds of temptations that criminals find hard to resist.
The employee who had been entrusted with the van was quick to alert his employer and they in turn called the police. Because of the GPS tracking device inside, the police were able to find the van outside of a fast food restaurant. Without the GPS tracking device, who can say how long it would have taken for them to find the vehicle? It surely wasn’t the only county-owned van on the streets. So police would have had to be on the lookout for both the van, not really knowing exactly where it was or who was driving it. A detective in an unmarked car attempted to get the suspect to end his joy ride. The suspect left the vehicle and made a run for it.
Eventually the van thief, someone who had been arrested 17 times in the past, was apprehended.
There is another side to this story though-what about the employees who left the car running and accessible to an opportunistic thief? We didn’t get to read about the end of that person’s story. I’m sure the county was glad that this employee came forward quickly and did not try to hide the theft.
As great as GPS technology is and as much as it can do to help make things more efficient, it doesn’t beat old-fashioned common sense. Most employers would prefer of their employees didn’t leave company vehicles idling, but having a GPS tracking device can add an extra layer of security in the event that something like this does happen.
By: Nancy McCord
Posts Tagged ‘Gps Tracking Device’
To Catch a Thief – Use a GPS Tracking Device
March 30th, 2010Nowadays It Is Unwise To Go Hiking Without A GPS
March 23rd, 2010
If you are among the tens of thousands of people who get pleasure from hiking then you ought not to leave home without the proper equipment and that means water, food, a basic first aid kit and the best GPS hiking system you can find. Taking a hike in the woods, or in one of the many lovely state parks, can be very exciting and you will enjoy a lot of exercise and see many animals and plants that you may not get to see at any other time. However, if you manage to get yourself lost while you are out hiking, especially if you get injured at the same time, your lovely day could well turn out very differently to the day that you planned. This is why taking a GPS tracking device is vital as it can help to get you back on track and home again safely.
Should you suddenly discover that you are lost when you are out hiking you easily can program your GPS device to find out the direction you are heading and this will stop you from accidentally heading the wrong way. Then, once you have regained your bearings, you can also find your way out of the woods and will find that many state parks have rest areas and other similar places that can be used as landmarks. Even when you are unable to find your way out using the GPS system then usually rescue units will be able to find you simply by tracking your signal.
If you are out hiking alone and have taken a GPS system for emergencies then you can also use it to indicate how far you have walked. By keeping track of the distance you travel you will then be able to find your way back onto the proper path by merely retracing your steps and will know exactly how far you must travel to return to your starting point. As a consequence you will not simply be walking for miles speculating about just how far you need to go before you get back on track. In addition it is an excellent way to make sure that you do not travel too far in the first place and will often stop you from ending up lost at all.
Anybody who has ever found themselves lost in the woods will know that it can be a frightening experience and the ability to know where you are and how you can get out again will help in keeping you and the remainder of your group calm. You will find that you can find significant areas and landmarks using your GPS system. Just as importantly, having calculated how far you want to walk during the day, your GPS system can indicate when you have reached your goal and stop you from going too far which could be dangerous. Knowing when to stop is very important and can help you to stay healthy and avoid injury to your body.
Going for a hike alone is not recommended but if you want to set off alone remember to carry your GPS so that you will feel safe and you will be ready in case of an emergency. Lastly, do not forget to tell someone where you are planning to go and when you expect to be back so that they can alert the rescue teams if you fail to return when expected.
By: Donald Saunders
GPS Tracking is Saving Businesses Money
March 15th, 2010
Businesses are saving thousands of dollars per month with GPS vehicle tracking devices.
“Businesses have reported a reduction in fuel usage as the biggest advantage of GPS tracking,” said Brad Borst, Founder and President of RMT. Monitoring and reducing speeds, routes, and idle time are just a few things that fleet owners can do to lower the fuel bill. Each mile per hour above 50 MPH increases fuel consumption by 1 ½ percent. Higher speeds also cause more tire heat, which puts more wear on tires. Wear on tires will almost double at road speeds of 70 MPH or greater. RMT’s GPS tracking systems report all vehicle activity and immediately alerts fleet managers by cell phone and email of speeding and unauthorized use of company vehicles.
Business owners are most concerned with fuel & maintenance, employee overtime, and employee productivity. New GPS technology significantly reducing excess costs for businesses:
1. Fuel & Maintenance – The average operating cost per vehicle is about $1.50 per mile. A company can reduce at least 25 miles per week for each vehicle with a GPS tracking device.
2. Employee Overtime – The employee overtime rate is estimated at about $30 per hour. On average, a company can reduce at least 1 hour of overtime per week with a GPS fleet tracking system.
3. Employee Productivity – On average, each vehicle could complete at lease 1 extra stop, job, or delivery per week with a live GPS tracking unit.
For an average size fleet of 10 vehicles, this means an estimated monthly savings of over $6000 with RMT’s GPS tracking solution.
A new Mileage (odometer) tracking feature for the Discovery LITE GPS fleet tracking system. The mileage tracking will allow fleet managers to observe vehicle performance and maintenance from the convenience of their computer. RMT expects to offer the mileage tracking to its thousands of customers by the end of the month.
By: Brad Borst
