Vehicle Theft and Protection

According to the Honolulu Police Department, it only takes 30-seconds for professional thieves to open a locked car, remove what they want and get away. The chance of having your vehicle broken into or stolen is 1 in 42 and during tough economic times, the chance of theft is often greater. We invest much of our time and money into maintaining our vehicle and equally important is investing in safety measures to prevent theft or break-ins.

Multiple Layers of Protection

The National Insurance Crime Bureau recommends “Layered Protection” for your vehicle. The more layers of protection, the more difficult it will be for thieves to break-in or steal your vehicle. The amount of “layers” you need will depend on your vehicle. While some may have the resources to invest in their vehicle’s safety, many may find personal finances and preferences determine how many “layers” and what anti-theft device is best.

1. Common Sense. Car thieves prey upon the careless and forgetful. While it may seem foolish, reports indicate that many victims failed to lock their doors with some even leaving the keys in the car. Remove your keys from the ignition, close your windows and lock all doors, even if parking for a brief period.
2. Warning Devices. Visible or audible devices will alert thieves that your vehicle is protected. Popular second layer devices include: Audible Alarms, Steering column collars, Steering wheel/brake pedal lock and Vehicle Identification Number etching on windows and Identification markers in or on vehicles.
3. Immobilizing Devices. These devices prevent thieves from bypassing your ignition and hot-wiring the vehicle. A popular device is the Transponder Car Alarm which utilizes radio frequency technology by matching computer chips in the owner’s key and the vehicle. Because the vehicle will start only when the chips are an exact match, this is a great deterrent against common theft tactics. Other popular third layer devices include: Smart Keys, Fuse cut-offs, Kill switches and Starter, ignition and fuel disablers.
4. Tracking Devices. The final layer of protection, tracking devices emit a signal to police or a monitoring station when the vehicle is stolen. Vehicle Tracking Systems or vehicle recovery systems emit “telematics” which combine GPS and wireless technologies to allow remote monitoring of a vehicle. Practicing safety and protecting your vehicle will decrease the likelihood of being a victim of an auto theft or break-in. With new security technologies being introduced each year, there are more options than ever to implement additional layers of protection for your vehicle.