There are some gadgets that are worth the money just for the conversational value they provide and GPS (global positioning system) vehicle monitoring products may well be one.
These security devices retail from £650 to £1,300 (€825-€1,651) plus VAT and allow car owners to monitor the status and location of their car via their mobile phones at all times.
The Bond-like precision of the system is impressive, with an up-to-the-minute positioning reading of within three to five metres. Insurers are not that impressed, however, and installing a device like this will not affect your motor insurance premiums. According to the Irish Insurance Federation, theft is a minor part of the cost of claims for insurers.
The unit is approximately the size of three CD boxes and is hidden in the vehicle. It can be transferred from one car to another.
The service incorporates GPS satellites for positioning information and GSM for communication. This technology is referred to as telemetry.
There are three main providers of this private vehicle security cover in the Irish market - Telenor Satellite Tracking, Eircom AutoWatch and RM Distribution.
Hawkeye, which is a Telenor brand, is sold through car dealerships and Cellular World. If a car is stolen, the car owner can call the 24-hour service centre and will be informed instantly of the car's location.
The service centre will then contact the Garda with this information to ensure that the car is recovered quickly.
One Hawkeye customer in north county Dublin recently used the service successfully when his Isuzu was stolen from outside his house.
The thieves broke into the house and stole the car keys, and the owner discovered his car was missing at 5.15 a.m. He immediately called the Hawkeye control centre and was told the car's exact location, the time of the robbery and the route taken by the car.
The Garda were contacted and by 6.30 a.m., the car was sitting outside a Garda station, undamaged. The owner also logged on to the dedicated website and was able to see his car's journey from the time of the robbery.
The RM V-Track was launched in November of last year and costs £1,299 plus VAT. The price includes installation, mapping software and one year's subscription to the 24-hour service centre. RM also sells cheaper, more basic devices.
There is a monthly charge of £15, including VAT, for the GSM line. The device is not cheap but then neither are the expensive cars that are being targeted.
Standard vehicle tracking packages include a panic button, and additional features include communications between the car and the monitoring centre.
According to the Eircom AutoWatch, the vehicle communication system is like a hidden speaker in the car. When activated by theft or panic button, personnel at the call centre listen in and tape any conversation in the vehicle.
This can help to establish the nature of the emergency if the driver is seeking assistance.
The Eircom AutoWatch product is manufactured by Tuam-based CEL (Connaught Electronics), and the supply and installation charge is the cheapest at £649 plus VAT. But there is also an annual monitoring charge of £299. Hawkeye costs £999 plus VAT for the hardware, installation and first year's service charges.
The service is not just for crime or emergencies. Parents who may not trust their children to drive expensive vehicles can use the technology to locate and track the speed of the vehicle by mobile phone at any time.
