The systems in the 80’s and 90’s were expensive making it difficult for just any one to log into the system. They usually had to use a system that was less accurate or fast as that of the military. Luckily with plenty of work a better option came along in 2000 for most anyone to pick up and use.

In 2000 Bill Clinton allowed the GPS signals to remain unscrambled, which made it easier for the lay person to use it. However, this still didn’t gain as much notice for regular people. It may have been easier to use and definitely easy to find, but you still had to have a signal on your car, boat, or other vehicle in order to be able to track it.

Now GPS is available to anyone and everyone, making it a great industry for companies and allowing for more consumer options. The GPS tracking systems are less expensive, easy to install, and are placed in most cars now. Even mobile phones have a GPS signal to help with tracking.

This can place more work on the police resources and they may find that even using the systems they don’t have the minimum needs. The study completed is to ensure that the operating company will at least have police requirements met so that the police may be able to use it. This could enforce some changes. Once the system has been updated companies will also have to make sure they have updated their side in order to be within compliance of the new standards. The hope is to make it easier for stolen vehicles to be tracked, recovered, and the perpetrators brought to justice.

Tracking Systems

Any tracking system from the System operating centre must be completely accurate about a vehicles location. Furthermore it must comply with national and international mapping definitions to help police find the real location, within 100 metres. This will provide street names and other location attributes that will be recognised by the police.

Communication between the police and tracking service will be direct. Police may have facilities that generally take care of details recording stolen cars now, but they must be able to work with the GPS centre in passing on details. The police may request help to involve the systems company.

Other Aspects

Once the vehicle is recovered the police will need to stop the tracking of the vehicle. During the tracking a “call” should not be continuous, unless the police need the help. The police may enable other alarms at the time for more important calls that are received, which means they may terminate following a stolen vehicle if need be. If safety of the public or officers becomes an issue the tracking of the vehicle may be stopped.

OPERATIONAL RESPONSE:

The police may use computers and control systems to help in tracking a vehicle. They can get the reference number from the control centre in order to track the vehicle on their own. Headquarters is generally responsible for communication between the tracking company and the police in pursuit of the stolen vehicle.

A stolen vehicle report can be filed with the police by anyone who has knowledge of the theft or the person who owns the vehicle. The theft will then be logged in the system and will be tracked at the earliest convenience of the police force, by any car that has a portable tracking computer in their unit.

The police will then use the details given in the report, and concentrate solely on the information the GPS signal offers in order to confirm the theft occurred. Police will not take action if the confirmation of the theft cannot be made. The police will also only take action if there are circumstances such as knowledge without confirmation in which the police have some other knowledge.

Time may elapse during which time the police unit is made aware and confirms the theft before action is actually taken. If the police find that there is life at risk they are able to track the vehicle without confirmation or consent by the owner of the vehicle. For example if the owner is thought to be part of a crime or suicide and is thought to be the aim, they are able to get permission through their laws to track a vehicle. A supervisor may have to give that permission to the police unit at the time.

On a fleet you have to install a Halo Dome or Qube. This is usually by NAVMAN. On the top of the vehicle is a dome shaped object that is usually clear. Inside the vehicle is then a GPS satellite system. This system is the controls for the unit. In other words if you need to get a fix on your location for directions you can pinpoint your location and search for routes.

This system is also a two way option. It will not only tell you where you are in the vehicle, but it will report your location to the base. So the dispatcher or owner will know where the vehicle is at all times as well. The unit is a communication marvel that offers roadside assistance and much more.

The vehicle tracking system we are looking at to describe how it works is the NavMan Halo or Qube unit. Other systems may work a bit differently. To get back to the next step the communication is done by the Navman OnLineAVL server. It will then transfer data to the Vodafone GPRS network for further communication between the vehicle and server. This is done by tracking the vehicles with an internet connection.

Then you also have a two way text message option. The internet is going to provide you with a means of transferring data from the vehicle to a customer office computer. In other words the dispatcher will get all information needed. The office computers will then be able to display real time information coming from the vehicle.

This is how the reporting works. The office staff gets to see exactly where the vehicle is when they need to know that information. We will use a car example. If your business is hauling cars around the UK or having them taken to the docks for shipping, you need to know where your fleet is in case you need them to pick up an addition vehicle on their way to a destination. By seeing the report of where your trucks are at any given time, you can pick the truck that will be the closest to the location as well as give the customer an appropriate pick up time.

There are more options within the vehicle tracking system that make it worth your while. Now that you know how it works, you can look at other options like a straight GPS signal that only offers a blip on a screen. These are simpler options that don’t offer as much information about a vehicle. You will always want real time tracking information, whether it is just a signal or a slew of information offered. Keep in mind that vehicle tracking systems range in price as well.