When looking for a tracker for your car, motorbike, van or motorhome, it’s easy to get daunted by the sheer number of options available to you. Do you want an S5 or S7 tracker? Can it be transferred if I change vehicle? What alerts do you get? How do I track my vehicle if it gets stolen?
Like almost any product you can buy, when there is a range of them available, there will be features in one product that isn’t in another, whilst many others will be standard across the line. Car trackers are no different.
When choosing your device there will be features that might be particularly attractive to you, but there will also be some features you should look out for, some you just might not have considered and others you didn’t know were possible.
Here we wanted to take a look at the 5 key features we think you should be aware of when choosing your device. They might not all necessarily be vital for you and your circumstances, but are very useful to know about and, if relevant, have in the device you buy. Let’s start with…
1. REAL TIME TRACKING
Whilst it might seem an obvious feature, not every tracker on the marketing has real-time tracking. It may well be able to show you where your car was at a various points in time, but not all can track your vehicle in real time.
Real time tracking means the you can literally see your vehicle move along roads, turning corners and crossing bridges with a delay so small that’s it’s practically unnoticeable. This is a massive help when you need to recover your vehicle quickly as it will help lead the police directly to where you car is, even its still moving!
2. JOURNEY HISTORY
Most of us will share our car with other drivers in our family. Whether it’s your partner or your grown-up children, the car is often at the heart of the family’s independence. As such, having a tracker than can keep an eye on the vehicles movements can be a fantastic option.
With fuel costs so high, making sure your vehicle is being driven as you would expect, on a route that’s optimal and within parameters helps you know your vehicle is being looked after and that your drivers are doing so safely.
Journey history also works well if you’re monitoring company vehicles so you can see exactly where employees are taking them and how they got there!
3. DRIVER BEHAVIOUR
Building on from the previous feature is the option many trackers have to not only monitor journeys to see WHERE the car is being driven, but to also look at HOW the car is being driven.
Many trackers now have the option to be able to monitor driver behaviour to keep a eye on things like speed, routes, braking and drive time, etc.
This can offer a fantastic insight into exactly how your car is being driven to minimise maintenance costs, even if you’re not the one behind the wheel.
4. VEHICLE MAINTENANCE
This is another great feature that helps both the residential and commercial customer. Some trackers have a maintenance module built into them that keeps an electronic eye on the car in which it’s installed.
Whilst probably more suited to fleet vehicles, the device, once connected to the OBD (On-Board Diagnostic) port of the car can monitor aspects of the vehicle to help reduce preventative maintenance costs and prolong the life of the car, truck or van!
5. TOTAL COST
Not a feature as such, but definately something you should bear in mind when choosing a tracker.
Whilst the price you buy the tracker for is obviously one consideration, there are sometimes additional costs to be aware of.
Most trackers will also come with a subscription fee to pay, either annually, bi-annually or sometimes one payment to cover the lifetime of the device. The subscription covers the cost of the cellular signal the device needs to connect to satellites and its control centre. The costs and inclusions do vary, so make sure you know what you’re getting, and for how long, before you buy.
⚬ Buy a tracker that’s right for YOU!
⚬ Ensure you’re aware of all the costs before buying.
⚬ Decide on what you need, not what manufacturers think you want.
We hope this has helped you and when you’re ready to buy, please take a look at our fantastic range and we’re confident you’ll find something that’s perfect for you. If you need any advice our team is available from 9 am – 6 pm, Monday to Friday on 0330 043 3993 to find the best tracker at the right price with installation available throughout the UK.
