One of the most technologically advanced weapons in the fight against car crime has been launched in Ireland.
The Navtrak GPS tracking system uses satellite monitoring and GSM technology as well as a driver recognition system to ensure that, as soon as a vehicle is hi-jacked or stolen, the theft is reported and the vehicle monitored continually until it is recovered.
The system differs from others on the market in that the driver also carries a card which acts as secondary electronic identification. This means that, if a car is stolen using its keys, the 24-hour monitoring centre is immediately notified that there is an unauthorised driver in the vehicle, even if the owner is unaware that the keys and car have been taken.
Following a series of checks, the monitoring centre then alerts the police force in whichever of 31 European countries the car may be in and directs them to within one metre of its location.
To date the system, which has been in use in Britain for some time and recently received the highest rating from Thatcham, the British vehicle security testing establishment - a 100 per cent recovery rate.
Such has been its success that the manufacturers now have agreements with car makers such as Porsche, BMW and Ferrari to install it in their cars.
At the Dublin launch, Justice Minister Michael McDowell said that any technology that prevented vehicle crime was to be broadly welcomed.
"It's hugely important that we use every bit of technology to combat crime," he said. "Criminals are using technology, it is about time we fought back."
Although the tracking system has a faultless recovery record, it is not foolproof. The GPS signal can be blocked by storing the car in certain types of containers while GSM blocking technology will prevent the vehicle "talking" to the monitoring centre.
However, the importers of the system, RM Distribution, say the 100 per cent recovery rate and the fact that any stolen vehicle can be tracked across Europe and even into Russia and that the relevant authorities can be informed in their own language within minutes prove it is a formidable weapon against car thieves.
Thieves steal over 13,000 cars in Ireland every year, 2,000 of which are never recovered.
Many of these are high-performance or prestige cars which have been stolen using the original keys and are subsequently smuggled out of Ireland.
The best way to tackle this problem is by using a pos-theft vehicle tracking and a driver recognition system, says Brendan Conway from RM Distribution. "In many instances what the thieves want is in your driveway and the lengths they will go to, including breaking into your house to steal the keys or carjacking is extremely distressing.
"With this system, if your car is stolen, you just leave it to us. In many cases the car is returned undamaged in your drive within hours."