1. Stolen vehicle recovery systems are also effective also. New technologies are being applied in products for vehicle recovery via tracking systems. One of the current commercial products is the Lojack Tracking System. It is a stolen vehicle locator system which allows police to find stolen vehicles equipped with the Lojack transmitter. This transmitter is hidden within the vehicle and is activated once the vehicle is reported stolen to the police. The police department enters the vehicle information into the NCIC computer system and Lojack accesses the information through their direct link. The electronic tracking units within police cars have an extended radius for tracking a Lojack vehicle. Once the tracking unit has locked onto a Lojack vehicle, it displays a numeric code which communications personnel use to determine the stolen vehicle information. That information is then broadcast to all units. Police officers in vehicles equipped with tracking receivers, knowing the description of the vehicle, then work to find its location. Some companies, such as Lojack, guarantee that your car will be recovered within 24 hrs or you will receive a full refund for the cost of the unit. Lojack has been in the Washington area since 1994 and currently reports a 95% recovery rate with an average three hour recovery time in this area. Unfortunately, this tracking unit is not a prevention device as there are no stickers that are placed on the vehicle to warn would be thieves that the car is equipped with the device. Rather, Lojack is advertised as a stolen vehicle recovery device. Lojack can be purchased only through authorized car dealerships and directly from Lojack.


2. GPS or Ground Positioning Satellite systems are an emerging technology that allow monitoring companies and/or the police to pin-point the exact location of your vehicle at all times (about $1900). This technology can give the monitoring company and/or the police the ability to control most electrical aspects of your vehicle. First, the unit is installed in the prospective customers vehicle. A standard cellular telephone mount and headset are installed. When the owner starts the car he/she must enter a 4 digit code into the cellular telephone within three minutes. If that code is not entered, the central monitoring center (much like a home alarm) will place a call to the vehicle to verify who is driving the car. If the proper password or code is not given to the monitoring center, then action will be taken based on the predefined wishes of the owner. The central monitoring center may stop the engine, lock the doors, sound the horn, cause the lights to flash and notify the police. Typically, the owner predefines that the engine will be stopped at a speed of 10 mph or less and the police will be notified as to the exact location of the vehicle for further investigation.
   

Some other features that these systems offer include: free 24hr road service for directions, breakdowns, accidents etc, panic button that can be secretly activated by the driver in the event of a medical emergency or other emergency, monitoring center can unlock your car if you have locked your keys in the car or turn your lights off if you have left them on and your battery charge is getting low; insurance discounts of up to 30% for purchasing this system; coverage includes all 50 states, Alaska and Hawaii. This is an emerging technology and as with cell phones and computers, the cost will drop over the next three to five years. Eventually this system will likely come as standard equipment with most cars (Cadillac North Star). Three companies currently offering this system are ATX Research Inc., Mobi TEL Inc., and Direct Electronics Inc.