How easy is it to steal your car? You might think it's safe, but the practiced eye of a thief may think otherwise. Every five minutes, a car is stolen somewhere in Australia. Assess your car by looking at it closely, and make sure you don’t become a statistic:
How easy is it to get into your car and steal something from it? Are your locks state of the art, or are they loose? Do you have an alarm system installed? Is the stereo system secure?
And it’s not just the doors and windows. Make sure your boot lock is working, your wheels are on tight and your seats are up in the back seat.
Identifying markers can act as a great deterrent for thieves. Security stickers can warm them off by letting them know the car won’t be so easy to get into. Microdots and GPS systems can make sure the car is easy to find or identify if it is stolen.
How good is your immobiliser? It should comply with Australian standards, which means it should:
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Isolate at least two electrical circuits automatically |
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Be passive arming; automatically turn on when the engine is off |
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Have the wires hidden to make it harder for a thief to find. |
Sometimes an average security system is not enough. If you are in the market for a new car alarm, make sure they comply with Australian standards and you will get a good level of protection.
A good car alarm should:
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Have sensors that offer interior and perimeter protection as well as anti- movement, vehicle jacking and glass breakage detection |
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Have the siren linked separately to each door, the bonnet and the boot |
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A minimum two point immobiliser system |
You love your car; you want it to be there when you wake up in the morning. Try out these extra options for your security system:
Can be used to track your car while it is being stolen, and may help recover the vehicle. Fees apply for these services.
Tiny plastic discs that carry a unique code are painted on the vehicle, for ease of identification if the vehicle is stolen, then recovered.
The Vehicle Identification number of your vehicle is etched into the window.
With motion sensors installed, an alarm will sound whenever they are triggered. A great stopgap if you ever accidentally leave your car unlocked.
Let you open the diver side door without opening any others. You can get into your car without letting your guard down.
Most alarms come with at least one remote output. You can have others installed and not have to choose between a remote starter or window controls.
If you have expensive wheels, locking wheel nuts will help protect them.
There are things you can do that don’t involve a new security system aswell.
Lock your car every time you leave it, even if you are running to the shops for some milk. If you are in the practice of always locking your car, the chances of leaving it unlocked on that one unlucky occasion are slim.
Don’t leave valuables lying in plain sight. Even if it is a handful of coins on the passenger seat, this is enough for some people to take a chance and try for more.
Park you car in a garage, or in safe view of other cars. Don’t leave it out at night for enterprising thieves.
