Cat 5 trackers with DRS, added security for keyless cars explained

Category 5 trackers with Driver Recognition System (DRS) add a personal identification layer to GPS vehicle tracking. The DRS requires the driver to present a personal tag before driving, alerting the monitoring centre if the vehicle moves without valid driver identification. Combined with a LockCar relay immobiliser, this creates the most comprehensive layered security available for keyless vehicles in the UK.

How Driver Recognition System works

A Driver Recognition System is a personal identification component fitted to a Cat 5 tracker. It typically uses a RFID or similar technology tag that the authorised driver carries. When entering the vehicle, the driver presents the tag to a reader unit. If the vehicle moves without a valid tag presentation, the monitoring centre is notified and begins a stolen vehicle recovery operation.

DRS adds meaningful value to Cat 5 tracking by reducing the window between theft and recovery alert. Without DRS, a Cat 5 tracker alerts the monitoring centre only when the monitoring system detects suspicious movement patterns. With DRS, the alert is triggered immediately when the vehicle starts without valid driver identification, enabling faster response.

For keyless vehicles, DRS is particularly relevant because relay attack theft occurs with no forced entry or alarm activation. The DRS alert provides the first indication to the monitoring centre that something is wrong, at the point when the vehicle moves without valid driver identification.

Why DRS alone is not enough for keyless cars

DRS tracker systems alert after theft has started. The vehicle has been started via relay attack, the driver is in the vehicle, and the DRS absence alert has been sent to the monitoring centre. The monitoring centre then alerts police, who must locate and intercept the vehicle. This sequence takes time, during which the vehicle may reach a chop shop or a Faraday-shielded storage location.

LockCar’s relay immobiliser addresses this by preventing the vehicle from being started in the first place. A relay attack on a vehicle with LockCar fitted does not result in a moving vehicle; it results in a vehicle that cannot be started. No DRS alert is needed because no theft has occurred. The two systems address different points in the theft sequence and work best together.

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LockCar’s relay immobiliser is fully compatible with Cat 5 DRS tracker installations. The relay break operates independently of the DRS system, providing the prevention layer that DRS tracking cannot deliver.

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Standalone relay immobiliser, DRS-compatible

The prevention layer for any Cat 5 DRS tracker installation. Encrypted proximity tag, independent of keyless entry and tracking systems. Stops relay attacks before DRS is ever needed.