Car Security - Click Cars Car Security Information

Car Security:

There are many car security devices to aid car security from items that fit across the steering wheel to others that attach to your gear stick, handbrake or pedals with even some owners using a wheel clamp, or a combination of all these devices.

This is fine as a deterrent, but it is worth noting that in security tests many of these kinds of car security devices can be unlocked or removed in seconds. That's not to say that some aren't highly effective and will put a thief off, but how do you know which are effective and which aren't?

Both the Master Locksmiths Association and the insurance industry run schemes that test and approve vehicle security devices along with the Motor Insurance Research Repair Centre (MIRRC) or Thatcham.

Car Alarms are an effective deterrent to both car theft and theft from your vehicle and electronic engine immobilisers are highly effective as they prevent the engine from actually starting.

GPS tracking systems operate using radio or satellite positioning to locate a car after it has been stolen and are fitted to a car "covertly", meaning it is hidden from view and there are no warning notices on the car to suggest that a tracking device is fitted. If the car is stolen the system is activated to send out a unique signal that the police can follow.

Some systems are even capable of detecting unauthorised movement of your car and will alert the driver that their car may have been stolen. Combined with a satellite Global Positioning System (GPS), tracking devices can pinpoint the exact whereabouts of your car and relay the information to police. Most police forces are now equipped with systems to track vehicles fitted with this technology.

Car thieves are now known to deliberately drive into a car at traffic lights, or a junction, and then force the driver out of the vehicle in order to steal it! This is known as "carjacking" this is practice carried out by car thieves looking to steal expensive executive cars, but on some occasions they have been known to use violence against drivers of less expensive vehicles.

VIN is the unique 17-digit number, which identifies your car from every other car on the road. Thieves recognise that if they steal cars with windows marked using the VIN or registration number, that the glass will have to removed and replaced if it is to be sold on.

Using the VIN is also a useful way of checking that parts of the vehicle match up and can help police to identify the rightful owner. Windows on most new cars are already marked by the manufacturer with a VIN.