5 Answers to Your Questions About Vehicle Tracking Devices

Got a question about car or vehicle trackers? Ask us at Infiniti tracking anything in the comments below, but before that, perhaps it’s already covered…

5 of the Most Frequently Asked Questions about Vehicle Trackers

1) Please! Explain the Acronyms Used to Describe Vehicle Tracking Technology? 

Like most technology terms, acronyms are used to shorten the description. They’re industry lingo, but for those new to vehicle tracking technology, acronyms can leave you puzzled. 

The most common acronyms are: 

• VHF – Very High Frequency. This is similar to GPS but it’s more dependable location tracking. The high frequency is able to transmit in areas with a weak signal such as under bridges and in underground car parks. Interesting fact: VHF is installed on police vehicles across the UK. 
• GSM – Global System for Mobile Communication. Trackers with these have a microcontroller installed that uses a GSM modem to transmit wirelessly through a mobile communications network. 
• GPS – Global Positioning System. This is the most common technology and it’s the same technology smart phones use for location data. 
• MESH – Refers to MESH Wi-Fi networks. 

GPS is the simplest location tracking device installed on vehicles, followed by GSM and the more advanced systems are hybrids using VHF, GSM, GPS and MESH. 

2) What is GeoFencing? 

GeoFencing is the term used to describe a virtual fence on a digital map. Vehicle trackers with geofencing capabilities can be set up to send a trigger notification when a vehicle enters or exits a boundary set by the user. 

As an example, a business that assigns sales reps a territory to prevent their sales teams stepping on each other’s toes, a manager can define a zone for each rep to cover, or assign regional managers with zone parameters for the staff and their vehicles that they’d be responsible for. 

Another practical use for GeoFencing is on plant machinery on construction sites. Should the vehicles be moved when the site is out of hours, or it leaves the site, an alert will instantly be sent to notify the owner, manager, or site security office of the unauthorized use and start actively tracking the movements.

Vehicle trackers with GeoFencing are beneficial for all types of vehicles including agricultural machinery and plant machinery. 

3) Do all vehicle trackers need an active subscription? 

Tracking devices that require a monthly subscription are those that have a GSM modem and SIM card installed. The subscription fee or service charge is for data costs as the modem needs to connect to mobile Wi-Fi to send the data to the control centre. Most new devices will be installed with an activated sim that will last at least one-year from date of activation. 

4) Can You Track Vehicles You Don’t Own? 

Vehicle trackers should only be installed on vehicles you own, or when you have the explicit consent of the vehicle owner. Covert GPS trackers, (sometimes referred to as “slap-and-track” GPS devices) installed on vehicles without the owner’s permission may be in breach of the UK Data Protection Act 1998, which stipulates that explicit consent is required for collecting personal data. 

This would apply to spouses and parents considering tracking their son or daughter’s vehicle, as well as employers providing company vehicles to staff. Employees should be informed that the vehicle is equipped with GPS location tracking technology and notified of the types of information collected, logged and how long it’s stored for. 

If you operate a fleet of vehicles, a car or van hire service, or are worried about the legality of installing trackers on vehicles driven by others, our team can be reached for advice by calling: 0330 043 3993

5) How Much Can I Save on Insurance Premiums by Installing a Vehicle Tracker

Saving money on insurance premiums is a common reason for considering installing a vehicle tracker. Whether you’ll save any money depends on the make, model and value of your vehicle, your personal circumstances such as accident history, the type of tracker you have installed and whether the tracker is installed by an accredited engineer. 

For high-value vehicles, it is not uncommon for insurers to insist on a vehicle tracker being installed before they’ll consider providing coverage. Should your insurance provider require a vehicle tracker to be installed, you will need an insurance-approved car tracker. 

When your insurer insists on installing a tracker, always ask for the specifics of what they need for your device to be compatible with their policy. At Infiniti Tracking, our insurance-approved car trackers are installed by Thatcham Accredited Engineers to meet the standards expected by insurance firms. 

To save on premiums, the type of car tracker you choose can have an impact on premiums as some devices collect more data such as impact analysis reports that insurers can use to verify the legitimacy of an accident claim. 

It should be noted that any vehicle tracker you intend to use for the purposes of insurance, must be approved by the Thatcham Research Group as they are the company that set the benchmarks used by insurance providers. 

Insurance providers will only accept Thatcham-Approved vehicle tracking devices that have been installed by a Thatcham Certified Engineer.