With 64,087 cars being reported stolen to the DVLA in 2023, car security has become an important issue. The best protection is to equip your vehicle with a vehicle tracker. Some of the most popular and latest ones right now on the market are the S5 and S7 Thatcham-approved trackers.

In this article, we will differentiate between both trackers to help you decide which one is more suitable for you.

What are Vehicle Trackers?

Vehicle trackers are GPS-based devices that are hardwired into your car to track its location 24/7. If your car ever gets stolen, these trackers are your best chance of having it quickly recovered. In addition, the trackers also record details of how you operate your car.

The record comes in handy when filing an insurance claim to prove you’re a responsible driver.

When buying a tracker, always make sure that it is Thatcham-approved. This means the model has been rigorously tested to meet high safety and security standards.

What Features are Common Between S5 and S7 Trackers?

Thatcham-approved category S7 and S5 vehicle trackers have the following common features:

GPS

The trackers have a solid GPS system to accurately record your real-time location. The GPS’s high coverage even includes areas outside the UK. So, it not only facilitates tracking inside the country but it can also be used to recover when taken outside.

Constant Monitoring

One of the best ways to tackle car theft is to take action as soon as it is stolen.

That’s why S7 and S5 trackers are monitored 24/7 by remote security centres. So even if you’re asleep or don’t notice the theft immediately, the control centre will alert you and the police.

Motion Detection

Sometimes, thieves get sneaky and decide to move your car without starting the ignition. While this may keep you from detecting the theft, the motion detectors will catch it immediately. The control centre will then be alerted to take necessary actions.

What are the Differences Between the S5 and S7 Tracker?

The primary difference between the S5 and S7 trackers is that the former comes with an extra feature called Automatic Driver Recognition (ADR). This makes S5 trackers more expensive than the S7s. Apart from this, some S5 trackers also come with immobilisers.

Here are how these additional features work:

ADR (Automatic Driver Recognition)

The ADR feature has been designed to protect your car from key theft and cloning. You are basically given a small identity fob that you’re supposed to keep in the car whenever you drive. If your car is moved without the fob inside, the control room will be alerted of theft.

Immobilisers

Immobilisers stop your car’s engine from starting until you deactivate it using the ID fob. These automatic immobilisers reactivate as soon as you lock your car. The trackers can also have a remote version of this feature. This allows control room operators to stop the car wherever it is as soon as the theft is detected.

In conclusion, both the S5 and S7 vehicle trackers are designed with a robust security system. The only difference is that S5 trackers are designed with an Automatic Driver Recognition System and sometimes immobilisers. So, while S5 trackers offer more security features, S7 trackers are more budget-friendly.

Both, however, are great choices for protecting your car from theft.