We’ve blogged before about how GPS fleet tracking-style technology assists municipalities when emergency crews are dispatched or underground utilities need to be found from above. But here’s another innovative use of GPS technology: All 41 miles of trails in Pittsburgh’s North Park have been mapped to GPS coordinates. Many of the trails also have been “blazed” – marked with identifying colors painted on trees – to allow hikers and search teams to find anyone who needs help or gets lost among... Read Full Story

A groundbreaking research project by Ford Motor Company and shows that technology similar to that used in GPS fleet tracking systems can “talk” to cars and could help prevent serious accidents. Researchers found the potential for a GPS fleet tracking satellite to act as an early-warning system that detects when a vehicle is about to lose control. It then communicates with the vehicle’s stability-control systems and other safety features to prevent a rollover or other seriou... Read Full Story

We’ve blogged lots of times about how GPS fleet tracking technology is used to follow the habits of all kinds of creatures, from vultures to wolves to sharks to elephants. Attaching GPS devices to these wild things isn’t easy, but it can be done. Read Full Story

A groundbreaking research project by Ford Motor Company and Auburn University shows that technology similar to that used in GPS fleet tracking systems can “talk” to cars and could help prevent serious accidents. Researchers found the potential for a GPS fleet tracking satellite to act as an early-warning system that detects when a vehicle is about to lose control. It then communicates with the vehicle’s stability-control systems and other safety features to prevent a rollov... Read Full Story

GPS fleet tracking technology isn’t always used to catch bad guys. But when it does, the results can be pretty hilarious. The latest example: A California parolee was seen on the security video of a bank that was robbed. An officer thought he recognized the alleged perp, who he knew was wearing an ankle bracelet with a GPS tracker attached. When the cop was able to check the real-time GPS tracking record of the parolee’s movements, sure enough: He was at the bank branch at the time of the r... Read Full Story

GPS fleet tracking technology isn’t always used to catch bad guys. But when it does, the results can be pretty hilarious. The latest example: A California parolee was seen on the security video of a bank that was robbed. An officer thought he recognized the alleged perp, who he knew was wearing an ankle bracelet with a GPS tracker attached. When the cop was able to check the real-time GPS tracking record of the parolee’s movements, sure enough: He was at the bank branch at the time of the ro... Read Full Story

When it comes to getting stopped for speeding, who ya gonna trust? GPS fleet tracking technology or good old radar? That’s what a court in Petaluma, California is being asked to ponder in a case that has attracted national attention. The city’s police department has spent $15,000 so far in an attempt to prove that an officer’s radar detector clocked a teen driver going faster than 62 mph in a 45 mph zone. The teen’s parents are contesting the citation, claiming the GPS fleet tracking device ... Read Full Story

About 800,000 children are reported missing in the United States annually, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. While the vast majority are runaways, followed by parental abductions, an estimated 58,000 children are kidnapped by strangers. But 99 percent of those come home pretty soon quickly, the Center says. Read Full Story

Is this really such a good idea? The police department in Leesburg, Virginia, is kicking off a program that will help residents track speeders and report their findings to the city’s traffic safety unit. The Community SpeedWatch program arms citizens with radar guns that record data about possible offenders. The data is then turned over to the PD for analysis and further action if warranted. Read Full Story

It’s taken several tragic aircraft accidents to convince a Canadian airline to consider switching to a “GPS-based flight-tracking systems capable of locating downed planes and survivors within minutes of a crash.” GPS fleet tracking could replace aircrafts’ electronic locator transmitter (ELT), a government-required device that transmits a radio signal when a plane goes down. The devices have failed twice last year, resulting in several deaths after long delays locating the ELT-equipped plan... Read Full Story