Driveway Alarms

The most experienced of robbers know the importance of a getaway vehicle. A good entry plan needs a good exit strategy after all. A heist can’t be considered complete without a clean getaway.

Driveway alarms stand to make clean getaways impossible for burglars, as well as stand as the first line of defense against them. Should an intruder actually succeed in getting inside one’s property, bypassing the installed home security system (this particular burglar would have to be very lucky), his getaway won’t be as clean as he would think, given that a comprehensive driveway alarm is set up as part of the home’s home security system.

Driveway alarms are basically sensors setup to monitor one’s driveway and the surrounding vicinity. The bottom line is; they monitor activities that occur in the driveway, giving homeowners the 411 with what’s going on in that portion of the house.

Guests, unwanted intruders and burglars could be found out even before they could actually enter the front door.

An assortment of driveway alarms exist in the market, functioning on different or integrated technologies, and/for various needs and purposes.

Certain types detect only moving metal, using metal detection probing technologies. This limits its trigger roster to cars and/or other vehicles, ignoring moving birds, dogs and/or people. Devices of this type come as wired (meaning with wires) or wireless, and are aimed for vehicle detection.

An impressive type of alarm system in itself, certain types of driveway alarms have a range radius of 1000 feet, some even reaching a 3000 feet radius. Utilizing infrared sensors, these types of sensors could detect activity and even pinpoint which areas in its range the activity is happening. Pretty useful for monitoring wide open spaces.

As varied the types of driveway alarms are, their practical uses also vary, beyond their intended function.

A microwave driveway alarm, for example could be setup to trigger certain activity as its alarm response. The lights could be turned on, as well as a siren. Microwave sensors work by emitting sound waves, expecting a feedback sound for its receivers to capture. Once a change in frequency is detected in the feedback sound, the system then is aware that there is movement, and registers this. The alarm is then triggered.

Picture you coming home to a dark house. With your driveway alarm set up to turn on the front lights upon the detection of movement, that climb up the stairs won’t be hard to do. This setup could also deter would be intruders, thinking there’s no one home. With the lights turning on as they approach, they would be placed under the impression that the residents are aware of his/their intentions and would opt to not bother breaking in.

Your set up driveway alarm could also play “door chime” for your business. Upon detection, you’d be made aware of the arrival of a potential client, thus give you ample time to prepare. Coupled with a surveillance system, you would also know who exactly you’ll be dealing with. Delivery trucks, frequent customers or new ones, you’d be alerted of their presence the moment they arrive.

Certain types of driveway alarms are integrated with video surveillance systems, which function automatically upon detection, or also serve as a security surveillance camera. Say an intruder actually makes it through your driveway, and even makes it through the home security devices installed in your home. An incognito (disguised driveway alarm) device could take still or video images of the intruder upon his/her exit.

A photo of the getaway car’s plate number or even a photo of the intruder himself would be enough for the authorities to trail him down.

You’re probably thinking; I already have a guard dog assigned to guard my driveway, what possible need could I have for a driveway alarm?

Well, for one thing, driveway alarms not only monitor movement, as guard dogs do, they can take pictures of alarm trippers, “monitor” specific movements (for false alarm scenario reductions) and don’t need to be walked or fed.

If you don’t have one at home, you have to have one.