-Kelly-

Keeping tabs on your car
REPORTER: David Richardson
BROADCAST DATE: March 4, 2005

You receive an SMS if the car has been speeding
Stopping your car in its tracks could soon be as simple as clicking a button, making it harder for thieves to steal and safer for your kids to drive.

The inventors of a car security system called Satrak have given it the ability to phone home.

To make life difficult for thieves, the system was equipped with GPS (Global Positioning System) and a mobile phone. To find out the exact location, speed and travel direction of a car, the owner would just have to give it a call and look at information on a computer.

Dean Penhorwood invented the Satrak system, the first of its kind in Australia. He said owners had total control of the car, including the power to kill its engine from a remote location.



"It dials direct to you and it has a voice menu on the system which talks you through all the functions and features of the unit," he said.

"Also it will send a text message to alert you as well."

In a matter of seconds, an expensive car could be saved from being taken forever.

Satrak installed 3000 units around Australia and driving instructor Kirk Marks put it into his car to keep tabs on his son Alex, who had been working late at night.

"The system has the feature that really appealed to us and that is the one of alerting us if the car travels at excessive speed at all," he said.

"It gives you the ability to have pre-sets set in the car and as soon as the car goes over that speed limit it sent an SMS to you."

It had the potential to make high speed police car chases a thing of the past.

A speeding vehicle could be disabled with the press of a button either by the owner on his mobile phone or by a back to base monitoring station.

A basic unit would set you back a bit more than AU$1000.

You can get more information at www.satrak.com.au

From: TodayTonight
-------------

I think it's awesome

LittleMilkJug

Sounds very James Bond