Where did you come from and where are you going? That’s what Napa County officials want to know, and why they plan to use GPS tracking data to analyze the area’s traffic patterns in hopes of improving congested traffic areas. According to a recent report, the GPS tracking information will be obtained through a private firm specializing in collecting anonymous GPS cell phone data. The study will also utilize photographic images of license plates, and corresponding home addresses which will be obtained through the BMV. Additional components of the study will include traffic counters at the entrances of area wineries, a major tourist attraction in the area, and surveys distributed through the public school system.
Learn more about TrackingTheWorld’s GPS tracking devices.
According to a recent CBS news report, a California senate bill, SB57, requires sex offenders who remove or tamper with their GPS tracking devices to spend a mandatory 6-months in jail. The bill comes in response to the increase in monitoring of the state’s offenders via GPS due to a law passed two years ago to relieve prison overpopulation, which was designed to send offenders to jail instead of prison. But, due to overcrowding in jails as well, some offenders spend little or no time behind bars, and instead are released to home and monitored via GPS tracking bracelets.
According to a recent report, a North Carolina State University study recently monitored, via GPS tracking, the activity of six free-range cheetahs residing in a wildlife park in Africa to study if high speed is the only factor in the animals’ ability to successfully hunt prey. It turns out that, while cheetahs have the ability to outrun their prey, successful hunting is a savvy combination of speed, maneuvering skills, and positioning. The report compared the cheetahs’ behavior, monitored by GPS tracking collars, to the movements of a race car, or an initial burst of speed followed by stealthy movements and navigating turns.
A Connecticut program designed to provide early warning to domestic violence victims when their assailants get too close may be expanding. Currently available in the cities of Hartford, Danielson, and Bridgeport, victims receive automated alerts via GPS tracking software and a GPS tracking ankle bracelet when an assailant comes within 5,000 to 2,500 feet. The program costs $22 per day per offender, which adds up to $2 million per year. Approximately one-third of Connecticut court cases are tied to domestic violence. Read more on this story.
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Have you ever tried driving a 12-foot box truck under an 11-foot bridge? If you have, then you know that it doesn’t work and that it can also create huge, expensive messes, not to mention injuries. According the Boston Herald, officials are sending heads up notifications to GPS tracking companies such as Garmin and TomTom to update GPS tracking software to include warnings for low bridges and overpasses.
The effort is to prevent accidents among new Boston drivers, especially college students and their parents, who will likely be heavily relying on their GPS tracking systems to make it to campus neighborhoods. As one might imagine, the problems created include damage to bridges, traffic delays, and possible injuries.
It’s no secret that business owners are continuously looking for ways to save money without sacrificing the quality of the product or service offered. For those interested in cutting payroll costs, monitoring employees, and saving fuel, GPS tracking software provides a cost effective and practical way to slim many business budgets. Here are our top three tips for saving money with GPS technology:
Cut Fuel Costs
If prices at the pump are draining you dry, you should consider GPS tracking devices and software for your business fleet–especially if you offer delivery services or use company vehicles for service calls. With GPS trackers in company vehicles and the help of GPS tracking software, dispatchers know exactly where each vehicle is at all times and can easily dispatch the appropriate vehicle to each call. Saved miles equals saved fuel– and less wear and tear on your fleet.
Reduce Payroll Costs
At one time or another, every business owner has wondered is their payroll costs are a true reflection of the amount of work they are receiving from employees. GPS tracking software can help you assure that employees aren’t misusing company time. For example, the software can tell you if your employees are where they say they are at any given time, monitor the idle time of every vehicle during the work day, and assure that overtime hours are honest.
Save Time with Automated Reporting
Does your staff spend too much time logging and compiling mileage data for reports? Our GPS tracking software with multiple reporting options allows you to accurately track mileage and automatically and easily generate the necessary reports based on archived data. It’s a great way to end old-fashioned pen and paper mileage logs.
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A New Jersey man who installed a GPS jammer on his vehicle in hopes of outsmarting his bosses has instead been fined $32,000. Turns out his GPS jamming device also interfered with the testing of GPS tracking systems on planes at an airport near his location. GPS jammers (illegal in the United States) are devices which block GPS signals from being sent to or from a vehicle.
Here’s a link to a previous post on GPS tracking for employees.
Officials in Steamboat Springs, Colorado hope that real time GPS tracking systems deployed on city buses will allow citizens to minimize outdoor wait times in chilly winter weather. The city is set to have GPS tracking devices installed on all 20 of their public transportation buses later this year. By allowing bus riders to monitor the location of their buses, and thereby delays in the schedule, patrons will be able to plan accordingly. The estimated cost of the program is $82,000, with $65,000 coming from state grant funding.
Take a look at another post on GPS tracking systems for public transportation.
Source: http://www.9news.com/news/local/article/347451/346/Real-time-GPS-tracking-coming-to-Steamboat-buses
Correctional News is reporting an increase in the number of paroled SC offenders tracked via GPS. Numbers are up from 400 tracked offenders in 2011 to 600 tracked offenders in 2013, all of whom must pay a weekly $40 fee for tracking. The report states that most of South Carolina’s tracked parolees are sex offenders, citing the state’s passing of Jessica’s Law in 2006 which mandates GPS tracking of specified sex offenders based on their crimes against minors. The state employs 160 individuals to monitor the tracking devices via GPS tracking software, respond to violations, and make home visits if necessary.
See the EnduroPro GPS tracking device with optional ankle case.
Enduro Pro GPS Tracking Device
TrackingTheWorld’s all-weather EnduroPro GPS tracker offers an ideal choice for extreme weather conditions, from recent summer heat waves to below zero temperatures. Designed to provide accurate and reliable reporting in the most extreme conditions ranging from -40° to 185° Fahrenheit, the EnduroPro is also water-resistant to IPX-5 standards.
The Enduro Pro offers features not typically found on GPS tracking systems in the same price range and of comparable size. Gilbert Walz, CEO of TrackingTheWorld, said the tracker is also known for its versatility. “The EnduroPro tracker is used for a number of applications, including asset tracking, covert tracking, and personal protection.”
Time to first fix for the Enduro Pro is 29-seconds from a cold start, and less than one second from a hot start. The tracker includes a built-in motion sensor to extend battery life, which powers down the tracker when it is not in motion, resulting in one of the longest battery lives available for trackers of similar size. The device is equipped to operate for up to 16-days on a single charge based on five minute reporting intervals and one hour of reporting per day.
An ultra-compact tracker, the EnduroPro weighs 60-grams, and measures 67.5mm x 40mm x 21mm. Additional technical specifications include Quad-Band 850/900/1800/190MHz operation, GSM phase 2/2+ compliance, a 1300mAh, 3.7V Li-polymer backup battery, 50-channel all-in-view tracking, and a uBlox 6 GPS receiver. Designed for use with TrackingTheWorld’s GPS tracking software, the Enduro Pro provides fixed-time reporting, geo-fencing, emergency alerts, and customized reporting options.
Interface options include a mini-USB port for PC connection, an LED indicator for power, GSM, and GPS statuses, power and function buttons, and an MMCX RF connector for utilization of an external GPS antenna.
