Car Thefts on Rise but New Technologies Available to Fight Crime

You say it won't happen to you? Well, if you live in Vancouver where property crime is amongst the most prevalent in North

Pay more for a better system, and you'll be better off in the long run. (Photo: NowAuto, Inc.)

American cities, yes that means it is worse than in most major U.S. cities due to the rampant drug trade which the court system doesn't seem to want to do anything to cure, you're likely to have your car stolen at some point. After all, the U.S. average is a car stolen every 27 seconds, and that includes towns like Salt Lake City, Utah... pretty tame by comparison. Way back in year 2000, the odds of a vehicle being stolen were 1 in 196. If this was a lottery, the lineups would go down the street and around the block.

It has been proven that a combination of theft deterrent devices, complete with warning stickers or at least a flashing red light is enough to cause thieves to look elsewhere for an unprotected car, as there are plenty to choose from.

But be careful what combination of devices you choose. For instance, if you buy an alarm system that doesn't offer much flexibility for adjusting sensitivity levels, you may make enemies of your neighbours and get a brick through the windshield anyway. Pay more for a better system, and you'll be better off in the long run. If your car is something truly special, that

Be careful when choosing fuel switches and/or kill switches as some may void your warranty. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, Canadian Auto Press)

crooks may want to spend a little extra time on and disconnect the power to your alarm system, which would render it useless, consider a backup power source for the alarm. And while this should be a no-brainer, keys or code numbers to the alarm should never be given to parking lot attendants or valets.

Sneaky little devices to stop thieves dead in their tracks are fuel switches and/or kill switches. After all, the bad guy's not going to get very far is he can't find the hidden toggle to turn the fuel system or connect the starter to electrical power. Be careful, though, as such devices could cause problems with your car's "electronic brain", the ECU, and therefore negatively affect your warranty.