Spy Tracking Devices

VEHICLE TRACKING DEVICES

This category highlights GPS car trackers for the security and surveillance tracking of vehicles, people, children, and valuable assets which utilise the newest A-GPS, GPRS and GSM location technology.

All of our vehicle tracking systems showcase the latest products including Real Time street level location with full history and journey reports. SMS Vehicle Trackers and VIP People Tracking are fast becoming popular to provide a fast and reliable way to obtain a location using only a mobile phone – no computer is required.

Good quality car trackers by design should be waterproof, compact in size and magnetic. Newer tracking devices utilise wireless charging technology which eliminates the need for an external USB connection port and can be charged simply by placing the device onto a wireless charging mat.

Most car tracker devices are regularly used by the private investigator, the fraud industry, or by bailiffs as a way of monitoring the whereabouts of cars, motorbikes, caravans etc. Other companies such as car rental and container logistics shipping and company car related businesses use trackers from a safety aspect and to monitor fuel usage. As trackers get smaller in dimension and better in performance, the ability to track valuable small parcels across the globe, or ensure a VIP, small child, the elderly and lone workers are safe and well.

More recently, GPS car trackers are used by private individuals as additional security of their vehicle, boat, agricultural equipment or other valuable asset.

With satellite technology as advanced as ever, such vehicle tracking devices can navigate the globe and provide LIVE and accurate locations immediately to your mobile, tablet or computer screen from anywhere in the world.

BUYERS GUIDE

GPS vehicle tracking systems have a wide variety of applications. These devices tend are classed as either ‘Past Track’ or ‘Real Time’ systems.  The difference lies in the accessibility and availability of the data from the unit.

Past Track – sometimes referred to as ‘history loggers’ are used to store the data about a vehicle’s direction, distance, speed, length of stops, etc to the unit’s internal flash memory, which can later be retrieved from the vehicle and the information can be downloaded for review. Advancements in Past Track devices now mean that they use integrated Bluetooth technology, where the data can also be transferred wirelessly to a nearby laptop without the need to retrieve the actual unit from the vehicle.

Real Time – used monitor and track a vehicles movements live as the action actually happens. The data is quickly uploaded to a secure server, which in turn translates the information to a tracking console which can be viewed in full colour. The data is transferred instantaneously, so you don’t miss a beat! This type of tracking can be securely accessed by computer, PDA or mobile phone. This is generally much more visual and detailed, and tends to be the more popular option for consumers.

Five (5) simple uses:

• Discreetly monitor an employee’s car to make sure they are only using the vehicle for business means
• Keep an eye on where your partner’s car is driving to if you have suspicions about their fidelity
• Monitor a child’s car driving habits – especially if they are newly qualified
• From a business point-of-view to enable you to give an accurate estimate of when a delivery or service will arrive
• To be able to deploy the nearest vehicle a particular location

The list of applications for monitoring a vehicle are quite endless but incredibly useful and above all are perfectly legal to use and present to the Police and also for presentation in a Court of Law.

Business Use

Businesses may use both types to monitor their fleet of cars, ensuring that their vehicles are taking the shortest route between two points, and saving fuel costs and improving customer efficiency and service. This is especially important when fuel prices are at an all-time high!  Many systems will allow the user to enter a destination address, find the closest vehicle to that address, and plot the fastest and shortest route. Companies who issue employees with ‘take-home’ vehicles can also cut down on unauthorised use by using either type of tracker.

Personal Use

If car trackers are bought to monitor the movements of a partner suspected of infidelity, the Past Track option can be hidden in the car and then retrieved and later retrieved for reading its stored / logged data. A Real Time option can be used to monitor such movements as the action happens so you are able to track every turn, stop, start, and visually see the street the car is moving along.

Real Time – whilst being more expensive – do have distinct advantages over Past Track units. For example, if you need to deploy a system to deter theft and improve the chances of recovering your stolen car, then a Past Track unit is not the correct solution because the tracker is stolen along with the car – doh! Real Time versions are the perfect choice if you need to know where your stolen car is the moment it is taken, and you can then direct the Police with accurate detail or give them temporary access to your tracking console in order for them to act more efficiently.

These types of location systems can also be invaluable general motoring aids. Motorists have used the data gathered to successfully prove that their asset was traveling at a drastically different speed than that reported by police radar guns. One court case using data enabled a motorist to demonstrate that he was traveling at 45 mph (within the speed limit) and not the 62 mph the police officer noted on the citation. Today’s systems are so advanced that battery life can exceed many weeks and even months before a recharge is required.

All the above information is only a general insight as there are so many vehicle tracking devices to choose from, each with their own functionality.

SPECIFICATIONS

With the increasing popularity of car tracking devices there may be a growing question as to their legality. Provided you install a unit whether that be a wired or magnetic that you own for the purposes of theft deterrence and recovery, there is no issue at all. Equally, you may install or attach to any vehicle or asset to monitor its mileage, or track movements for the safety of your employees.

It is advised to best inform the user of any vehicle, be that your company car, fleet vehicle, or valuable asset that a tracking device is installed however, there is no legal requirement to do this.

In covert applications, for example cases where spouse infidelity is suspected or you may be a private investigator (PI) tracking the movements of serious criminals then this may be seen as an invasion of privacy. Laws in the UK are less proscriptive than in the USA when it comes to the invasion of privacy however, even in the USA, the Supreme Court ruled that when you drive on a public street you do not have a reasonable expectation of privacy.

Generally, there does not appear to be a problem with using such devices even in a covert way providing you have installed the device in a public place and not on an individuals property and did not commit a crime by installing it (e.g. breaking into the car, tapping into the car’s power supply, altering the car’s driving characteristics, etc.). It appears that installing a car monitoring device in your teenage son’s car or placing in your child’s school bag does not seem to violate any law in the UK.

Evidence obtained from such covert surveillance may also be admissible in court but its relative weight and power will most likely be decided by individual judges. On its own, it is most likely to be considered circumstantial but as supporting and corroborative evidence, it could prove very persuasive.