Posts Tagged steering wheel lock

Find the Best Anti-Theft Device for your Car with These Tips

How safe do you think your car really is sitting in that parking gargae all day while you’re at work? What about sitting outside your house, even? The truth is without an anti-theft device installed in your car, it never really is safe. A recent study showed that every 25 seconds someone’s vehicle is reported stolen. That totals 1.2 million car thefts each year. One of those cars can be yours next.

So you have to decide if the extra money you put out for buying a car alarm system is a worthy investment compared to losing your car. This is the only question. You’re next faced with ones like, which car safety system should you buy? Which will best protect it?

A professional car thief can and will steal any car, if they want it bad enough. You’re job is to at least make them work hard if they plan on trying to steal yours. Law enforcement officials recommend using common sense combined with a good anti-theft devices to thwart thieves.

There are many different anti-theft devices out there. Here are a few tips to help you protect your car:

  • First off, think about where you normally park your car at home and at work. If your alarm was to go off, would you or anyone else for that matter, hear it or notice it? If it was to go off, would it simply be ignored?
  • One great way to deter potential thieves is buy a heavy gauge steering wheel lock or tire locks. They will run you about $100-$200 but it’s worth the cost in peace of mind. Another trick is use indicator lights or window stickers that give off the impression of the car having an alarm installed.
  • Do some research of just how effective certain theft-prevention measures actually are. If someone is determined enough to break into your car, they will find a way. Certain systems just make it more difficult such as cutting through certain steering immobilizers or shutting off the alarm.
  • What are some of the ranges of the anti-theft systems you are looking at? The most popular systems include options such as audible alarms, a concierge system or cellular alarms that notify police. Other systems you’ll find have locking steering-wheel covers, steering-column covers, locking steering-wheel bars, kill switches, fuel-system locks, tracking devices and delay devices.
  • How much protection are you looking for? Do an evaluation of how far you are willing to go and how much you are willing to spend. You’ll find that some alarms, reasonably priced in the $150 to $1,000 range, will arm automatically. Some alarms come equipped with tracking devices and are priced from $400 to $1,500. These types of systems help locate the car if it’s stolen. Steering-wheel locks and column locks are priced cheaply but must be manually put on every time.
  • Create a budget for how much you are willing to spend now and in the future for any additional costs. Cheaper anti-theft devices such as mechanical immobilizers don’t need to be professionally installed, but you’re also not getting the best deterrent system either.
  • Low-tech, cheaper anti-theft systems can be found in nearly any auto parts store or even in the automotive section of a major retailer. However, for the more sophisticated alarms, your best bet is to find a stereo shop or parts store that specializes in automotive electronics such as sound systems, alarms and radar detectors. They can even do the install for you there.
  • Once you have your new alarm system successfully installed, call your insurance company to see if you are now eligible for any discounts.
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Compare Car Security Alarms

Recent studies have shown that in the United States, three out of four cars do not have the necessary utilities installed to prevent car theft. In addition to this, one out of four car owners, or 25 percent of those who have these utilities installed do not activate them. This figure, although alarming, is not surprising, as it can help explain the high incidence of car jacking and car theft in the country. Given this, much has been written about how people can prevent car theft, however, much of what has been written consist of tips that car owners could do like making sure that they park in well-lit places. In addition to this, there is also not much literature on how people can use car alarms to help them prevent car theft. This has led to situations in which people dismiss the value of having an effective car security alarm systems, because they do not know much about them.

Given the determination of car thieves, the manufacturers of alarm systems have come up with utilities that prevent thieves from stealing your vehicle. Manufacturers have developed alarm systems that are equipped with motion sensors or impact sensors that give off a loud siren if somebody gets too near your automobile or tries to steal it. They also manufacture steering wheel locks that prevent anyone from driving off with your car, unless they have a code or a key.

Other anti-theft systems include armed collars that prevent thieves from breaking into the steering column to hot-wire your car, and the more technically advanced kill switches that prevent the flow of electricity or fuel to the engine. There is also an electronic key that can be pre-installed in your car, and only allows your car to be operated if the correct key is inserted. Another failsafe method is to install an electronic tracking device or a transmitter in your car that emits a signal that can easily be picked up and followed by the police.

There are a wide variety of car security utilities that are available to car owners. Given this, car owners need to compare them and decide what best fits their needs and their budget. Purchasing a car alarm system is worth having peace of mind when you have to leave your car in a big city or a remote parking lot. For as little as a few hundred dollars, you will save yourself a lot of aggravation and protect one of your most valued possessions.

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