Auto Safety Solutions

Car Tracking & Immobilizing

Protect Your Vehicle with Locking & Immobilizing Devices

Your vehicle is one of your biggest financial investments. So, it’s worth spending a few extra dollars to protect it from would-be thieves. There are many affordable locking and immobilizing devices that can give your auto the extra security needed to prevent theft. If your car is secured and the next one isn’t, your vehicle might not be targeted and escape harm entirely.

Locking Devices

1. Steering Wheel Bar Locks: Devices such as The Club clamp onto the steering wheel, rendering it impossible to steer. They’re brightly colored and obvious when looking in through the window, further serving to deter an attempt to enter the car.
2. Hood Restraints: These devices limit or prevent access under the hood. Some types include chains that prevent the hood from being opened more than a few inches, and mechanical or electrical devices that lock the hood down or prevent the factory-installed hood mechanism from operating.
3. Steering Column Collar: This prevents access to the ignition through the steering column.
4. Tire/Wheel Locks: These devices wrap around the tire or wheel, rendering the vehicle immobile.
5. Gearshift Locks: This device prevents shifting the gears and engaging the transmission.

Immobilizing Devices

1. Ignition Kill Switch: A toggle switch, spliced into the ignition and installed in an inconspicuous location, disables the vehicle when the switch is in the “off” position.
2. Fuel Kill Switch: This switch is spliced into the fuel system wiring to halt the fuel supply when in the “off” position.

Final Thought: The success of engine immobilizers and deadlocking has reduced the number of casual thefts of newer cars. But beware of professional criminals looking for a way around it by stealing keys to your vehicle and theft-prevention device.

Alarms Are a Sound Investment

An alarm can take the form of the vehicle’s horn or a bell, siren or other sounding device that is easy to hear from up to 300 feet away. Some feature automatic shut-off and reset capabilities that sound for a few minutes, shut off and immediately rearm. Others use an auxiliary power source (backup battery) that trips an alarm when the main power source is disconnected or if wires to the alarm device are cut or disconnected. Alarm systems or sensors are designed to engage the vehicle’s alarm and cause a would-be thief to flee without stealing the vehicle.

1. Door Sensor: This mechanical switch activates an alarm if the door is opened before deactivating the system.
2. Glass Sensor: This electronic sensor sets off the alarm if it detects the sound of breaking glass or metal coming in contact with glass.
3. Motion Sensor: This is a mechanical switch that activates the alarm device if the vehicle is jacked up or towed.
4. Trunk Sensor: Another mechanical switch, this one sets off the alarm if the trunk is opened before the system is deactivated.
5. Ultrasonic Sensor: This electronic device activates an alarm when an ultrasonic field is disturbed inside the vehicle.
6. Vibration Sensor: Either mechanical or electrical, this sensor activates the alarm if any part of the motor vehicle is bumped, causing vibration.

Final Thought: A car alarm is made up of one or more sensitive sensors connected to a siren. The frequency of false alarms, often exceeding 125 decibels, has many decrying the health consequences and annoyance with this “noise pollution.” Furthermore, because false set-offs are so common, most people ignore the blaring. If your alarm is oversensitive, you may be chasing away the neighbors rather than thieves.

Safeguard Your Vehicle with Tracking and Marking Systems

Stolen Vehicle Tracking & Recovery Systems ?These systems feature a transmitter installed in the vehicle so that it can be located after being reported stolen. A variety of independently operated systems (such as LoJack) automatically notify a monitoring center if a vehicle equipped with the system is started by any means other than through use of an ignition key.

Marking Technology

VIN Window Identification System: With this system, at least two of a vehicle’s windows are permanently marked with the vehicle identification number. Use a VIN Etching Kit to do it yourself.

Micro Dot: Microdots are the world’s tiniest state-of-the-art identification technology. Each dot is about the size of a grain of sand but contains hundreds of microdots encoded with a unique security code and VIN registered to the vehicle owner. DataDots is a spray-on product that adheres to and identifies most interior and exterior parts such as door panels, stereo and telephone equipment, as well as the engine. Warning labels may be placed on the vehicle’s exterior to ward off potential thieves.

Final Thought: Tracking devices and marking systems are a big help to police efforts on your behalf. The rate of recovery of individual stolen vehicles may be as high as 90 percent in the U.S. for vehicles equipped with such products. Using them also helps thwart the export of stolen motor vehicles. This anti-theft method leads the authorities to close down chop shops attempting to break down cars into parts.