Car alarms
Car alarms were first developed a century ago but they did not become commonplace until around the 1960s and the 1970s. They quickly became ignored though particularly in the 1980s and 1990s when crime rates were high in urban areas.
In the present-day, most cars have car alarms and unfortunately, we are in a habit of ignoring them when we hear and this is known by thieves.
Do car alarms work?
Car alarms are not actually as effective as we would like them to be an article in the Guardian states that ‘The security devices have been criticised by councils and car owners for failing to combat crime – but it might not be worth scrapping them altogether…’
The more you learn about car alarms the more you will, unfortunately, come to understand that they do not deter thieves the way we all wish that they would.
This does not mean that you should forego a car alarm however as it still gives your vehicle some protection. There are however other types of protection that may help as well.
False Alarms and Ignored Alarms
Car alarms are consistently set off by mistake. Your friend could leave you in the car while they go somewhere and accidentally lock it meaning one small movement will set off the alarm. It can be as simple as just bumping into a car that you are walking past. You could be very aware that you have a particularly sensitive alarm and therefore be routinely used to ignoring it.
The first car alarms served much more of a purpose as when they went off people could genuinely go and check on their cars. However as we have become more used to car alarms going off, despite the fact nobody is attempting to steal them, we have biome complacent and no longer feel a sense of urgency when we hear an alarm.
Car alarms are also said to have a genuine impact on the health of a neighbourhood.
New York alarms on vehicles supposedly cost the city $400-$500 million a year in “public-health expenditures, lost productivity, decreased property value, and diminished quality of life,” as found in a report done by Transportation Alternative (which is a cycling advocacy group).
Does your alarm scare away car thieves?
The Guardian states that ‘A 2016 government report into car crime could not find a clear link between security devices such as car alarms and drops in car crime.’ Some people see car alarms purely as an irritation and nothing else.
Not everybody thinks this however, it is pointed out that although an alarm will not stop every thief it does deter some. It also means that the burglar knows that there is a more significant risk of being caught when stealing a car.
If nothing else a car alarm can help to reduce the price of your insurance if you live in ab area with a high car crime rate.
Can thieves bypass car alarms?
In the late 90s, a study showed that cars with alarms “show no overall reduction in theft losses.” Amateur thieves are likely to be put off by an alarm but a more practised thief will be able to cut a couple of wires to mute the alarm.
Thieves nowadays are generally not put off your car because of its alarm. Some of them as previously stated will be able to mute your alarm. Others cannot be bothered with this. This is because they know that a car owner will not appear the moment the alarm goes off because of the complacency we have developed as a society.
The methods that are used in the present day to steal a car are much more advanced than they used to be. They are able to clone the keys and therefore mimic the frequency of it so that they can just turn your alarm off themselves. It is becoming easier and easier all the time for burglars to access this technology making it so that they can bypass the alarm and just drive your car away.
Luckily, just as the technology of the thieves has developed so have protective measures for your car. Read on to find out which of the newer technologies could be for you.
You should take the time to find the right car alarm for you.
What are the most significant deterrents to burglars?
Strategies to prevent car theft
There are a few really simple steps that you can take to make sure that your car is less likely to be targeted to be stolen. Although they are small easy steps they can make a world of difference. These are as follows:
- Grab your keys
- Make sure windows and sunroofs are closed
- Don’t leave valuables in your car
- Layering security measures
- Always lock up
- Park in a well-lit area
Although these are all effective steps at hel[ing to prevent your car from being stolen they are not always going to be enough. There are so many ways that you can protect your car to the best of your ability so that you can take the chances of it being taken way down.
The AA website has a great list of ways to protect your car that we have provided below:
-Always double check your car’s actually locked.
-Use a locked garage if you’ve got one and, elsewhere, choose well-lit areas and places covered by CCTV.
-Get a Thatcham-approved electronic immobiliser fitted – unlike your car’s standard security features, this won’t be vulnerable to attack through the OBD socket.
-If your car has a ‘keyless’ system, make sure you keep the keys far enough away from the car when you’re at home. If they’re within communication range your car will effectively be unlocked and open. Keeping the key in a metal-shielded, RFID-blocking pouch will stop this and will also prevent theft by signal relaying when you’re away from home.
-Consider fitting a tracking system to help with recovery in the event that your car’s stolen.
-Keep an eye on local news and neighbourhood watch for information about specific vehicle models that might be being targeted by thieves in your area.
-Check your car insurance with your provider and ask them for advice – they might ask you to fit additional security measures before giving cover.
Using any or all of these tips should hopefully leave you feeling more secure about your car being out of your sight.
What’s the best car alarm on the market?
At Car Specialist Customs we have many years of experience in vehicle security and are now experts. We recommend the Pandora Alarm as the best on the market. It is definitely one of THE best protection measures you can use for your car.
The Pandora company are very well-known for being experts in car alarm manufacturing and has developed their alarm to be an amazing anti-theft device.
Immobilisers are an important element of the Pandora Alarm. Immobilisers are electronic devices that completely immobilise the car’s engine so that it cannot start if you do not have the correct key for the car. It comes with the strongest immobilisation that it possibly could. At a minimum, it comes with two.
The engineers at Pandora believe it will take 20 years before the technology comes about that would be able to get through this alarm.
The beauty of the Pandora Alarm is that you can monitor your car and its settings and sensors from a handheld device like a smartphone. It does not even have to be in any kind of close range. You can control your vehicle using the Pandora Alarm from wherever you are in the world.
With your Pandora Alarm, it is so much easier to feel that your car is secure because you will know the moment that it is not. You can arm the alarm and disarm it, immobilise your car or even remotely start t from a distance. This means you will never have to worry about your car in the same way ever again.
If you want to know more about fitting Pandora Alarms we can help you with that. We are here to make protecting your car with anti-theft devices easier.
We hope that we answered the question ‘Do car alarms actually deter thieves?’ and that you feel more reassured that there are ways the prevent car theft and they are put there for you to access and use.
Take the time to read more of our blog posts such as ‘The best security devices to keep thieves away this winter.’