Home security is an important and growing business in recent years. Parts of a security system installed in and near your home or business are active, others are passive. At the least, you would want to be warned if there are visitors approaching your home or building. While most visitors are friends or acquaintances, those who live alone or in rural areas might feel safer if they have warning that someone is nearing the home. A driveway alert is one such device that registers a notification when there is movement or other activity at the perimeter of your property.
The alarm for a driveway serves as an alert to let the homeowner know that someone or something is approaching. The range of most of these devices is four hundred feet or less. Installation is simple enough that it is usually a do-it-yourself project for the homeowner. The alarm can be installed according to the preference of the installer. You may want to place it high enough that small animals won’t trigger the alarm, but that it will register a person or automobile passing the sensor.
There are several types of alarms that can easily be placed around your home or driveway. The most common type of driveway alarm uses radio waves. The movement of the person or vehicle is picked up by the disruption of radio waves. The alert then sends a signal to the homeowner that there is an intruder. The approaching vehicle may break a light bean that lets the home owner know of the activity.
Another major type of alert system uses a probe and a cable. The pressure on the cable and the probe works much the same way as the signal at a gas station when you drive over the cable. Alert systems can also be wireless and portable so that they can be moved around and placed anywhere on your property that needs extra security. Driveways that are wide or narrow, long or short, straight or curved are all made more secure by the use of an alarm system.
Once the device is triggered, the next step is to notify the homeowner. This can be done by various means. The alarm may be in the form of a recorded voice message, such as “visitor approaching”. The sound may be a bell, beep or something similar that avoids startle reaction. In high-security areas, the alarm may be installed to notify the police or security company of the intruder.
The follow-up action once the presence of an intruder has been noted will depend on the physical set up of the home and the alarm system. A triggered alarm may automatically turn on lights so that the approach is illuminated. The system may be set up to allow the homeowner to check a visual display of the visitor. If the system allows, there may be an automatic message sent to the security company.
A more sophisticated alarm system may broadcast a verbal warning, alarm or other audio signals intended to scare off the intruder. Sometimes in more secure gated grounds, the homeowner can activate a two-way intercom system to allow or disallow entrance to the grounds. Sometimes an automatic camera records the presence of the intruder.
A driveway alert is not for every security situation, but where appropriate, it provides a level of additional home safety. Systems can be simple or sophisticated. You can install a single unit or have a complete ring of alerts surrounding your property.
