A vehicle tracking device is much like a medical aid – you don’t realise its value until you really need it. And with the current high rate of stolen vehicles, this is one asset you don’t want to be without.

It used to be just new vehicles that were vulnerable to vehicle robbery syndicates but according to Fidelity SecureDrive this year there is an increase in brazen tactics and robbery of older vehicles which do not all have modern tracking devices. They say they are seeing as many as four incidents a week in Gauteng.

“The reality however is that even if you do have a tracking device, if your device is older than 3 years old, then it is like having a 3-year old cell phone and you should be considering your options,” says Wahl Bartmann, CEO of Fidelity Services Group.

With processing capacity literally more than doubling every 18 months, anything older than three years is outdated and places you at risk.
“We now know just how low the accuracy of the old technology really was when compared to our current technology which provides 3m pin point accuracy. This is absolutely critical in recovering stolen vehicles,” he says.

Pinpoint accuracy has become increasingly necessary and recent advances in GPS technology have made geospatial information far more accurate and accessible.
‘These days tracking devices are not only that much more sophisticated, but they have also become so much more affordable so it is definitely worth investing in one,” he says.

In light of current trends Bartmann reminds motorists leaving their cars unattended to always ensure they are locked and to be constantly aware of car jamming, particularly in parking garages and shopping centres and now as we have seen, even in secure complexes.”
“This year it is definitely worthwhile reviewing what you already have in your car or what you are considering buying. Asking your telemetry service partner some key questions could be the best investment in your security you have made,” concludes Bartmann.