car security, anti hijacking and theft feature

This is about Car Crime*

Probably the most complete and comprehensive article yet published on a subject that will effect millions of people. It covers a subject that in some areas has become an epidemic. Every City and Borough has its particularly high risk areas. This is not an advertisement feature. No brand names are referred to, although certain types of product may be criticised.

We would like to thank Bob Williams of the Metropolitan Police Crime Prevention Office - West Drayton, West London, for his invaluable help during the original preparation of this feature.

The making of this feature included an extensive survey of the motoring public. The results were worrying, as over 80% of all the participating car owners had little idea about car security. We hope reading this will correct that. What we will tell you is true, indisputable and documented, no punches will be pulled - you will hear it as it is, and as it really happens in the real world.

We have drawn comment and information from the most knowledgeable sources, including the Metropolitan Police, and Security Experts. In addition to members of the public, we also interviewed 'reformed' ex car thieves, who confirmed many of our suspicions, both good and bad, concerning the 1000 or more vehicles that are stolen every day in the UK.

.
	During our survey three comments from the public were common place. 1. It won't happen to me. 2. There is not much I can do about it. 3. That's what I have insurance for.
Yesterday this was someones car

The members of the public responding in this way are totally misinformed. Firstly, if you do nothing to prevent it, it can very easily happen to you. Secondly, you definitely can do something about it, and thirdly, while your insurance company may pay out, you will lose your no claims bonus and your premiums will go up. Insurance companies exist to make a profit, and one way or the other it will be from YOU, make no mistake.

We ask that you scroll through and read the whole feature, as this will give a fuller understanding of the problem of car crime. We have however indexed the following main headings to make it easy to return to a section that may be of particular concern. Click on the appropriate heading, and use your on screen back button ( < ) to return to this index.

Known within some Police forces as TWOC - taking without owners consent. These generic terms include the act of taking your car without your permission. In many cases windows will have been broken, the steering lock ripped out, and any amount of other damage done. The 'driver' may have no driving licence, possibly be underage, certainly no insurance, and no intention of being careful with your car. If it is seriously damaged, so what. It may have been taken simply to get home after a late night at a club, but once finished with, setting light to it can destroy a lot of incriminating evidence, and is a common occurrence. You will not be suprised to hear that TDA can easily become THEFT in legal terms.

LETS GET ONE THING RIGHT. The print media often apply the term 'Joyrider' to people accused of TDA. 'Joyriders' are often involved in 'hit and run' incidents, cause horrific road traffic accidents, kill and maim innocent members of the public, and often themselves.

There is no 'Joy' in 'Joyriding'.

This may mean the car is stolen by professional thieves to be given a new identity and then resold, or perhaps even exported. Having acquired either forged documents, or those of a similar vehicle by buying a 'write off' from an Insurance company, the thieves swop the VIN plate from the write off to the stolen car, and fit new registration plates etc. Or a car may be stolen for parts and spares. The demand for secondhand alloy wheels and sports interiors, has never been higher, due to some drivers wishing to make their basic model look like the performance version - a huge money making opportunity for the unscrupulous. And we should not forget, cars and vans are stolen to be used in planned criminal activities. It sounds like a lot of vehicles are being stolen - and you would be right - a vehicle is stolen nearly every minute of every day in the UK. Think about that when you next go for a 10 minute drive. Most cars are stolen from the street and car parks, but a large number are stolen from the driveways of houses, and with improvements in car security it is common for thieves to break into houses to obtain the car keys - never leave them in sight anywhere, in your jacket hanging in the hall, or near windows or letterboxes.

The theft of car keys from houses is becoming more and more common, sometimes involving violence, and weapons including firearms.

Do remember that badly lit parking places are particularly targeted by thieves, so if you can fit a PIR controlled halogen flood light to illuminate your driveway, so much the better. They can be bought for as little as £10, so there really is no excuse not to do it. Its very cheap security.

CAR PARKS. Try to use a secure car park that has a ticket/data card exit system, and be sure not to leave your ticket/data card in the car. Such car parks usually have good lighting, a secure perimeter, and perhaps CCTV surveillance or security patrols. You will have to pay to use it, but it could turn out to be a lot cheaper than using a free but insecure car park. You may have no option but to use a less secure car park, so your physical and electronic vehicle security becomes even more essential.

WHEN YOUR CAR GOES IN FOR SERVICING. When you take your car in for servicing, lock it and make sure you leave the keys and alarm fob with the receptionist. Do not leave them in the car even if you are asked to do so. A thief could walk in and take it, or take the keys then take the car later when everyone has gone home. If you arrange to leave your car at the garage after hours, which is very common, make sure you have left a spare set of keys with the receptionist, so when you do leave the car you do not have to put your keys through the letterbox. Thieves have been known to retrieve keys from letter boxes using a piece of wire. We were horrified when we heard the next suggestion. The owner of a 2 month old car was asked to 'hide' the keys on top of the drivers side front tyre, instead of putting them in the letter box. Apparently some keys were taken from the letter box the week before, and a car stolen. Sounds like it was about to happen again.

PETROL STATION FORECOURTS. There have been many cases of cars being stolen from garage forecourts (particularly in the winter when owners may be tempted to leave their engine running to keep the car warm). It could not be any easier for the thief. Few owners lock their cars when going to pay for fuel, many leave their keys in the car! Some petrol stations have placed warning notices on their fuel dispensers - ie: BEWARE - THIEVES OPERATE IN THIS AREA - LOCK YOUR CAR - CONCEAL ANY VALUABLES. Yes, it is that bad.

Most cars have radio / stereo / CD players, and some are very expensive. It is inevitable that such items are attractive to thieves. Various types of 'anti theft' radio / stereos have been marketed, including the 'PULL OUT', 'COVER IT', 'CODED', and 'FACE OFF' types. Unfortunately all but one of these is in use radically flawed.

The 'PULL OUT' type. Few owners want to take a car radio into a club or restaurant, so they pull the radio from the dash and put it under the drivers seat in the car. Unfortunately every car radio thief knows this, so they look for cars with the tell tale empty shell in the dash, break the window and pull the radio out from under the seat. Even if you did take it with you, you now have a broken window.

The 'COVER IT' type. This is where the expensive unit is concealed by a clip on front that gives it the appearance of a 30 year old radio. Sounds a good idea, but believe us, it will fool everyone except the thieves - no one puts an old radio in a new car. A somewhat dated concept now.

The 'CODED' type. Far from ignored by the thief. Many owners think because it is coded no one will steal it, and become less security conscious. The fact is, most such units can easily be 'decoded' with a laptop computer, a service which is openly advertised in some car magazines. Few thieves will even bother with de-coding, they will simply give their 'buyer' a fictitious 3 or 4 digit number.

The 'FACE OFF' type. Last but definitely not least. This is the least likely to be stolen, because the thief knows he will not have a complete unit to re-sell, that is if you remember to pull the face off and take it with you. Not foolproof, but still the best option.

At least some car makers are trying to do something to help - by building the radio / stereo in several separate component parts that are in different parts of the car. So all a thief is likely to get is an incomplete kit of parts, which means he will probably look elsewhere.

When you park your car, do not leave any valuables, bags, packages, boxes, or anything that could contain valuables in sight in your car. If you leave a jacket in sight in your car, a thief may not think twice about breaking the window to see if there is a wallet or cheque book in the pocket. Do not leave any credit cards, personal or vehicle documents in the car. The same applies to a mobile phone - it may have been free when you signed the agreement, but its worth money to a thief, who will do hundreds of pounds worth of damage to 'earn' £30. Designer label clothes are also a major attraction.

If you carry a laptop computer or Sat Nav system in your car, do not advertise the fact. In the case of the laptop, lock it in the boot before you leave home. Whatever happens do it before you get to a shopping centre car park. Thieves are clever, devious, know all the moves, and definitely watch cars parking. Any car park is high risk, but particularly those at the 'big spend' retail outlets such as PC World, Comet, Currys etc. We proved this by walking round such a 200 space car park in the Slough area, on a Sunday after the store was closed, and found evidence of 7 broken car windows. Park as near as possible to the store entrance - there will be more people in this area, and you may be within sight of the company security personnel or within range of their CCTV cameras, but do not underestimate the audacity of some thieves. Thieves may follow you back to the car park after you make your purchase, hoping you will leave it in the car, and go to another store. If you suspect this is happening, drive out, then phone the Police. You can always come back if you need to, and hopefully you will see the thieves being arrested by the occupants of an unmarked Police car. Sale time is boom time for car crime, and also boom time for the car glass replacement firms for the same reason. Be vigilant - car thieves rarely look like car thieves, are often very young, and sometimes even below the age of criminal responsibility.

NB: The rubber suckers you use to mount your Sat Nav system on the windscreen leave horrible circular marks don't they. If they are visible from outside the car they tell the thieves you have something worth stealing in it, because its 90% certain you will not take the Sat Nav system out of your car.

NOW BE HONEST . . .

You are on your way to buy an expensive car stereo or Sat Nav system. Someone stops you in the car park and offers you a £350 item for £50. Would you buy it? If the answer is a cautious yes, you are partly responsible for the existence of car crime. If there was no market for stolen goods, they would not be stolen in the first place. Best not complain then when someone steals the CD multiplayer or Sat Nav system from your car.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What should you do? Decline the 'offer' and walk into the store and inform someone in authority what is going on in their car park. The big retail outlets are plagued with people offering stolen goods in this way, and most will have an immediate line of communication with the local police. What a suprise the thieves will have after trying to sell stolen car stereos to plain clothes police officers.

No - this is not about the price of fuel, this is about robbery from you or your car while you are in it. Be instantly on your guard if you are approached while stationary at traffic lights, in a traffic queue, or anywhere else for that matter. That briefcase on the front seat, may be targeted by the audacious and fast moving thieves that specialise in this type of crime. They may work in gangs, with one 'spotting', his mate doing the 'grabbing', and usually one or two more hanging around in case it goes wrong. It will actually be smash and grabbing if your doors are locked, as they should be. Make no mistake this happens - more likely in inner city areas, but there is no rule book about that. The experienced 'grabber' will shatter your side window and take that briefcase before you know what is happening, and will be gone in seconds. Surely we do not need to elaborate on the risks if your expensive gold watch is seen under such circumstances. Weapons, often knives and/or hammers, are commonly used in this type of robbery. Who does this? Well it would be wrong to condemn every traffic junction windscreen washing gang, but this has been a common 'cover', and its very effective. Your briefcase and/or laptop should have been locked in the boot.

A side window can be shattered in a second, but it is still a barrier between you and a thief. At times it can be very pleasant to have your window open, but there are circumstances when you should not. Passengers in the car should also be made aware of this.

Fortunately not the most common car crime, but with the improvement in car security in recent years, this is an easy way to get access to someone's car, complete with keys, and is almost certain to involve violence at some stage. The victim is usually alone, often pulled from their car at traffic lights or a crossing, and the car driven away. Be very wary of people approaching your car under such conditions, keep your doors locked at all times, and be prepared to drive off. There can be many variations on this theme, including car park attacks, so remain alert. For the same reason, never give lifts to strangers - some may have the most plausible reasons for asking for a lift - ignore every one of them, even if it does seem hard hearted. When you see someone trying to get a lift by waving a petrol can, is he only trying to attract the attention of lone drivers, perhaps just women drivers? Do not fall for it. Be aware that while having central locking has its advantages, it also has a lot of disadvantages from a security standpoint. Generally if one door becomes unlocked, they all unlock. Thankfully some car manufacturers are waking up to the importance of 'pro - active' security, and more than one now incorporate a system that gives the option of selective unlocking, and locks all the doors as the car is put into gear. We will say it again - although a side window can be shattered in a second, it is still another barrier between you and a thief - there are times to have your window open, and circumstances when you should not. (From the original OurCar security feature)

There is a device on the market that will activate your central locking system via the brake light circuit - ie: use of the brakes locks all your doors. We think this should be fitted to every car as standard equipment.

UPDATE - 2007
The OurCar security feature was first published in July 2000. Many motoring groups and organisations now use it as a referral point, and we have given permission for whole or part reprints to numerous bodies, not only in the UK, but across the world, and YAHOO! - one of the biggest portals & search engines have featured it on their opening results page. We have been thanked by site visitors for our hard hitting thought provoking approach to a nationwide problem. To those who considered we were scaremongering, we suggest you read this feature again, and accept that 'putting your head in the sand' is not an option, and certainly no protection.

Most people in the UK will be aware of tragic events following the attempted theft of cars in London. These show the lengths determined car thieves will go to when they target a car, which was probably being stolen to order. Most reports made front page news of course, but if the owners of the cars had not been killed or seriously injured, it would have been little more than another statistic in a local paper, and this type of car theft would not have received the publicity it did.

.

Be one step ahead and remember the following
1	The money to be made from stealing expensive cars to order, is comparable to that made by major drug dealers. It is a gang land activity which relies on violence, fear, and ruthlessness to be effective.
2	It is predicted that there will be a large increase in the number of car hijacking attacks this year, and a greater percentage will involve firearms and other lethal weapons. The attraction will be too great for criminal gangs that have no hesitation in using violence, fueled by a copycat mentality. This copycat mentality will inevitably mean a younger age group (teenagers) will also follow the trend, as has happened with drug dealing.
3	Improvements in car security mean thieves are now more likely to attack the driver in order to obtain the keys to a car, instead of attempting to overcome security devices. They continually become more inventive as well as more aggressive - you must stay one step ahead.
4	Do not assume that because you drive a low value car, you are not at risk. While an 'organised' gang will not want your 1989 Escort, joyriding youths with knives may.
5	Until proved otherwise, assume that any stranger(s) approaching you or your car is doing so for the wrong reason, and act accordingly. It is no good being wise after the event.
6	Try to park so you have a clear route forward without reversing. This may allow you to vacate the area faster, once in the car. Those extra seconds could be vital.
7	When in your car, always keep all the doors locked, and when strangers are near or you are in slow moving traffic keep windows fully closed.
8	Not all car hijackers will look like your idea of car hijackers. You may not be alerted by their appearance or presence, until a physical attack occurs and a hammer comes through the side window of your car.
9	When in stop/start traffic, keep back from the vehicle in front so there may be an escape route in the event of an attack - the best defence is not to be there. Apply this logic continually.
10	Be particularly cautious in the event of a minor contact from a car behind you - it is a well known rouse to make you stop and get out of your car. You will have to make your own judgment as to what action to take in such an event, and no judgment is going to cover every eventuality. One thing is for sure, getting out of the car is exactly what the hijacker wants you to do, so make that one of the last options. Official advice is if you are suspicious you should drive to the nearest Police Station, but this appears to assume you are fairly near to, and know the location of the Police Station. It also assumes that you do not have to walk 50yds to the entrance - and that its not closed! We think you would be better off looking for a Police Car and attracting attention with your horn and by flashing your headlights.
11	A new method of getting you out of your car is now being used. This started in the Manchester area, but is now being used in other UK cities. The hijackers will select a target vehicle that is parked rear in to a wall in a car park. They will place a largish piece of card or paper under a rear wiper, or merely attach it to the rear screen. They will then place themselves appropriately and wait for the driver to return, perhaps lock himself into the car, and prepare to move off. The driver will probably not notice the card on his rear screen at this point due to being backed up against the car park wall, but after a short distance he usually will, and will almost certainly stop to remove the card. It is also almost certain that he will leave the drivers door wide open and the engine running while he does it. What happens next is fairly obvious. Very often an accomplice is present to act as back up. The answer? Do not get out of your car at that point, drive away from the car park, and ensure no one is loitering near your car when getting out to investigate the attached card.
12	Hijackers will continue to use their imagination over methods of getting you out of your car, so try to be one step ahead. Their audacity defies belief at times, so be careful. If an unlikely looking individual waves what he wants you to believe is a 'warrant card' at you, and tells you to get out of your car, when there appears to be no crime or incident scene, or police vehicles, do NOT get out of your car. Move off a little further up the road and reappraise the situation. If you genuinely believe that the person was not a police officer you have every right to stay locked in your car, and indeed drive off. You should of course immediately make efforts to contact the police by phone or in person.
13	If you see a stranger(s) loitering, or appearing to watch you from a parked vehicle as you are about to park outside your house, drive off and come back in 5 minutes. If your doubts continue contact the police. Naturally be very alert when walking to or from your car, any time, any where.
14	If you see strangers loitering near your car, do not let your actions identify yourself as being the owner, and therefore in possession of the keys. Divert away from the car and observe from a distance, if your doubts continue, contact the Police. The situation is different is you are parked at home, business, or a regular parking spot, because you could have been watched previously, and are therefore known to the attackers. You have no option but to quickly leave the vicinity, until you judge the situation to be safe. If in doubts, contact the Police.
15	If you think you are being followed, do not stay on your usual route, but try to stick to areas you know - if you do not, you may end up in a dead end road. Try to judge traffic lights, junctions and crossings, so you can keep moving - which is not always an easy thing to do. If you then double back on yourself, and the suspect car is still with you, you must really be on your guard - do not go home, thereby disclosing where you live. The risks in trying to out run the following car, both physically and legally are obvious, while our views regarding looking for a Police station were stated in paragraph #10. The law concerning the use of mobile phones on the move may be the least of your worries under such circumstances, and it is hoped you find it was all a false alarm, as the following car turns off.
16	Although we have come across no expert comment concerning the merits of tracking devices in a hijacking situation, if the attackers know a car is protected by such a device, (which is contrary to the whole tracking device philosophy) they may look elsewhere. A complex train of thought which we will be monitoring closely. It is worth noting that many high risk commercial vehicles, carry adverts stating that the vehicle is protected by a tracking device.
Before long, being alert and pro-active with regards to the car hijacking issue will become second nature. Take care, and enjoy your motoring.

N.B: The official advice given by the Police should a life threatening demand for your car keys occur, is that you should hand them over - realistically the only advice that can be given. However, many peoples instinctive reaction will be one of non co-operation. If you make life as difficult as possible for the Car hijacker before the event, hopefully you will be seen as a difficult target, and never have to make that decision.

"GIV US A LIFT PAL". An individual or group of people having left a club in the early hours, probably having had too much to drink, need to get home, so simply open the door or doors of a car that is stopped at traffic signals, a crossing, or caught in a traffic queue, and get in. The request of "do us a favour pal, giv us a lift " once in the car is intended to be intimidating enough to make the driver do exactly that. At best, a frightening situation, at worst . . .

The answer of course is KEEP THOSE DOORS LOCKED, and remember what we said about side windows.

THE HIGH RISK CATEGORY DRIVER. This feature is aimed at the general motoring public. If you are a Doctor (and therefore carry drugs), a jewelry salesman, or are in any other high risk category, your security arrangements need to be even more dedicated and sophisticated. If you regularly carry a laptop computer or other valuable items to and from your car, it is only a matter of time before people become aware of it, and it is most likely to be the wrong sort of people. For a relatively small sum you can have a steel safe box fixed into the boot of your car. They take up little boot space, and if you change your car you can take it out. If you fall into this high risk category and drive an estate car, 4x4 or mpv these are essential.

When some drivers are behind the wheel of their car, they become 'king of the castle', and can be become offended if someone looks like straying into what they see as their road space. Modern day motoring can be quite stressful, so a driver may become less resilient, and instinctively more aggressive. If you use your horn provocatively, when there is absolutely no need, or shake your fist or make 'rude' gestures at another driver, you can create a personal conflict situation from which almost anything can happen, depending on individual egos and pride. If someone or something annoys you, take 5 seconds to think about it . . . !

Giving way, and being diplomatic is not a weakness, it is the correct thing to do, to keep traffic flowing and perhaps to allow for your own, or another drivers moment of thoughtlessness - it is part of defensive driving.

WARNING

BEFORE WE MOVE ONTO PHYSICAL AND ELECTRONIC CAR SECURITY, REMEMBER THIS.

You, or a member of your family could return to your car while it is being broken into. The thieves will at least be in possession of screwdrivers and other implements that can become weapons, and perhaps even have knives. This is a street crime situation, and the use of knives is a common place occurrence - a violent confrontation could occur with the possibility of tragic consequences. It is up to you to prevent this happening, at source. If there is nothing in your car to steal and it is clear the car is fully immobilised, it is very unlikely to be broken into. In understanding this and acting accordingly, you are not being paranoid, you are just protecting your property, yourself, and perhaps your family.

BE PRO - ACTIVE, AND YOU WILL NOT NEED TO BE RE - ACTIVE.

WITHOUT ADDITIONAL SECURITY SOME CARS CAN BE STOLEN USING LITTLE MORE THAN A SCREWDRIVER AND A PIECE OF WIRE, PARTICULARLY THE NOT SO NEW ONES, SO WE WILL START WITH PHYSICAL CAR SECURITY, SOMETHING THAT CAN BE EFFECTIVE, SIMPLE AND CHEAP, YET IS IGNORED BY SO MANY PEOPLE. THERE ARE MANY VARIATIONS ON THE THEME SO YOU CAN ADD TO YOUR SECURITY AS YOU CAN AFFORD IT.

(a) SECURITY MARKING AND CODING. Not something that will stop a thief from stealing your car, but it may deter the thief who is after parts from your car. It will certainly aid in identification of the car or parts should a theft occur. There are products for etching glass, lights, mirrors etc, and various methods of marking accessories including ultra violet pens, and some hi - tech invisible 'marking' liquids that contain a unique code viewable with a high powered scanner. On glass you should etch the registration number of your car, on other items you can mark your postcode, but do not use your phone number. Whatever happens write down carefully and accurately what, where, and how, items are coded in case one day you have to help the police identify your property. Make copious use of stickers to ensure a possible thief knows your car and accessories are coded.

(b) STEERING WHEEL LOCKS. Every car should have one. While they may not deter a determined professional thief, a good steering wheel lock is a worthwhile investment. Highly visible, and an instant deterrent. Why should any thief try to steal your car knowing he has to get through a steering wheel lock, when a few yards away is a similar car without one. Remember that some open ended devices give limited protection, and a device that prevents the central nut on the steering wheel being removed may give greater protection. The device is only as good as its lock - its no good it being made of thick hardened steel if the lock can be beaten in 15 seconds. As with anything you get what you pay for, but remember if its too complex and cumbersome to fit and remove, before long you may not bother with it when only leaving your car for 5 minutes, and that could be the time you wish you had. For similar reasons keep it at hand in the car, not in the boot.

WE ARRANGED A MEETING WITH A REFORMED EX CAR THIEF, WHO HAD ALSO SPECIALISED IN VEHICLE REPOSSESSION. HE CLAIMED THERE WERE VERY FEW MASS PRODUCED CARS THAT HE COULD NOT DRIVE AWAY WITHIN 3 - 4 MINUTES, AND SOME MUCH QUICKER. HE ALSO SAID THAT DURING HIS CRIMINAL CAREER ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WOULD MAKE HIM LEAVE A CAR ALONE, WAS A GOOD STEERING WHEEL LOCK . . . .

EVERY CAR SHOULD HAVE ONE.

(c) GEAR LEVER AND HAND BRAKE LOCKS. Some of these give good protection, some do not, and if its possible to unscrew the gearlever, its fairly pointless locking it in the first place. Locking the handbrake sounds effective, but the most stupid car thief knows how to cut a handbrake cable. Some of these devices can give good protection in some cars, but very little in others, and many tend to be very 'fiddly' to fit and remove. Remember what we said about locks in the previous paragraph.

(d) WHEEL CLAMPS. These are not likely to be considered practical for everyday use by car owners. They are more suitable for protecting caravans, boat trailers, or commercial site parking. Again quality of manufacture varies tremendously, and there are 'bargain price' wheel clamps that can be beaten in 20 seconds - quite useless.

(e) LOCKING WHEEL NUTS. If you have alloy wheels you should have locking wheel nuts. Finding your car lying on its floor pan in the morning is not the best way to start the day. Naturally you can buy good and bad locking wheel nuts. Buy the good ones - its worth the extra.

(f) SIDE WINDOW REINFORCEMENT. This 'membrane' which makes it much harder for a thief to get through a side window in a car, is in principle a good idea, as side windows are only made of safety glass - which shatters, while front and rear screens are made of laminated glass, which is much stronger. However the feedback we obtained from the public was that generally they would not bother with it. Our view is that its very appropriate for people in the high risk categories mentioned earlier.

(g) WHEEL TRIMS AND ZIP TIES. Not a major thing here, and certainly not foolproof, but a good idea to use a couple of zip ties on each wheel to secure the wheel trims. Better than having £100 worth of wheel trims stolen by someone who suddenly takes a fancy to them. Make sure you keep something in your toolkit to cut them with, in case you have to change a wheel at the side of the road.

(h)) KEYS AND ALARM FOBS. After locking and immobilising your car outside your house, do not leave the keys and alarm fob on the hall table, in sight from a window, or in a jacket pocket. Hide them out of sight, using a bit of imagination. Car thieves regularly break into houses to get keys, alarm fobs and vehicle documents. Do not write your key numbers in your drivers handbook, which you then leave in the glove compartment, for equally obvious reasons. If you are leaving your jacket in a restaurant cloakroom, do not leave your car keys in the pocket. During our survey we met a member of the public who kept a spare set of keys and alarm fob in the glove compartment of his car!

THE GOOD THING ABOUT MOST PHYSICAL SECURITY DEVICES IS THAT YOU KEEP THEM WHEN YOU CHANGE YOUR CAR.

ELECTRONIC CAR SECURITY FALLS INTO 3 MAIN CATEGORIES - ALARMS, IMMOBILISERS, AND DEVICES THAT EMIT A RADIO SIGNAL ALLOWING A CAR TO BE 'TRACKED'.

(a) ALARMS. Self explanatory of course, but more complex than you might think. Most very cheap alarms are only a bit better than nothing, but if it makes an incompetent thief run off, it worked. The value of many alarms is determined by the ability of the installer, and what activation circuits are applied to it. An alarm that can be disabled by causing a fuse to blow, is not worth the packaging it came in. Insurance approved systems, which will have Thatcham Cat 1 approval and require certified installation are more expensive, due to having features such as random coding which prevents the code being 'grabbed' and used later to disable the alarm. Unfortunately the public generally ignore car alarms, because of the quantity of accidental activations, so a module to call a 'pager' is sometimes incorporated .

IF YOUR ALARM IS ACTIVATED SEVERAL TIMES WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, BE SUSPICIOUS IN CASE SOMEONE IS SETTING IT OFF DELIBERATELY SO YOU THINK ITS FAULTY AND DISABLE IT. DELIBERATE ACTIVATIONS ALSO ALLOW A THIEF TO TEST YOUR RESPONSE.

(b) IMMOBILISERS. May or may not be combined with alarm circuitry, but designed to disable electrical and/or fuel supply circuits. There are those which are Thatcham Cat 2 and Insurance approved, and those that are not. Make sure you know what is needed. While any immobiliser can be overridden, given enough time and knowledge, in most cases it is still an effective ways of stopping your car being driven away, in the short term anyway. Again, use of the stickers that are supplied with the unit should alert a thief to the fact that the vehicle is immobilised, probably preventing the attempt in the first place. A point that most people will not like to hear is that thousands of cars come off the production line fitted with the same immobiliser as standard equipment, so its not long before thousands of thieves have learnt how to disable it.

(c) TRACKING DEVICES. There are now a number of such covert devices on the market which allow your vehicle to be electronically 'tracked', once activated. While there is no deterrent value in such devices, they do give you an odds on chance of getting your car back, if it was stolen. If you own an expensive car in a high risk category, these are worth considering, as discounts on insurance are often available following installation. If used in conjunction with a properly installed alarm and immobiliser, you stand a very good chance of retaining ownership of your car - and the bonus is the thief may be caught red handed.

WARNING STICKERS & LEDs

IF YOU OWN AN OLDER CAR WITHOUT MODERN BUILT_IN SECURITY, DO NOT RELY ON 'DUMMY' WARNING STICKERS. ALL ALARMS AND IMMOBILISERS FROM RECOGNISED MANUFACTURERS COME WITH WARNING STICKERS SHOWING THE NAME OR LOGO OF THAT MANUFACTURER. A 'NAMELESS' 50p STICKER FROM THE ACCESSORY SHOP IMPLIES THAT YOUR 'ALARM' IS PROBABLY WORTH ABOUT THE SAME AMOUNT.

DO NOT RELY ON 'DUMMY' FLASHING LEDS. SOME LOOK LIKE THEY ARE . . . WELL, DUMMY FLASHING LEDS - PARTICULARLY THE ONE THAT PLUGS INTO THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER! YES, SOMEONE ACTUALLY MAKES THESE.

DUMMY STICKERS + DUMMY LED = DUMMY ALARM

ALARMED? YOU WILL BE . . . !

THERE WERE MODELS IN THE BROCHURE OF A MAJOR MANUFACTURER, THE ALARM AND IMMOBILISER OF WHICH COULD BE DISABLED AND ACCESS GAINED IN JUST A FEW SECONDS USING ONLY A SMALL SCREWDRIVER OR NAIL FILE. THERE ARE CERTAIN MODELS FROM OTHER MANUFACTURERS THAT DO NOT TAKE MUCH LONGER. WE WILL REFRAIN FROM NAMING THE MANUFACTURER, FOR OBVIOUS REASONS.

A GOOD STEERING WHEEL LOCK DOES SOUND LIKE A VERY GOOD IDEA.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: We published the statement above several years ago. We were requested not to name the Manufacturer by a number of organisations, perhaps with good reason. We also had many hundreds of email suggesting we should name the manufacturer, although our Legal advisors informed us that we should not do so. Following screening of the WATCHDOG program on BBC TV, the matter is now in the public domain. We must still act under the advice given to us.

SOMETHING FOR NOTHING?

Not quite, but the Crime Prevention Office at your local Police Station may be able to give you details of 'older vehicle security schemes'. These cover private Cars with earlier registrations, and will require you to be living within the appropriate area. Contact your local Police for full details (not available in all areas)

.bookmark

WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN READING CREATES A FRIGHTENING PICTURE OF EVERYDAY CAR CRIME AND VIOLENCE. THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE PUBLIC WE SPOKE TO, THINK IT WILL NOT HAPPEN TO THEM, BUT EQUALLY STRANGELY A SIMILAR NUMBER KNOW SOMEONE IT HAS HAPPENED TO.

IF THERE IS ONE THING GUARANTEED TO MAKE YOU CAR SECURITY CONSCIOUS, IT IS GOING BACK TO THE CAR PARK AND FINDING A SPACE WHERE YOU LEFT YOUR CAR. DON'T LEARN THE HARD WAY.

ITS UP TO YOU!

CRIMESTOPPERS

0800 555 111

Due to requests from the public and authorities this article will remain on the www.ourcar.co.uk site.

TDA and theft	Theft of radios/stereos	Theft of goods	Highway robbery
Hijacking	High risk drivers	Road rage	WARNING
Physical car security	Electronic security	Older car security	Crimestoppers
	Update to Hijacking section