Some security devices can be hidden in the car that will thoroughly thwart
most thieves. Here are a couple:
Smart Keys. More and more manufacturers are developing keys that are
electronically coded—some even use computer chips—to protect your car. Cars
with smart keys will not start without this code.
Starter, Ignition, and Fuel Disablers. Kits are available—and
mechanics can install them if you’re not sure—to install switches that shut off
or interrupt either the starting or ignition mechanism or the flow of fuel to
the carburetor. With these switches in the off position, the car will not
start. Hidden switches such as these will frustrate would-be thieves, causing
them to leave your car alone. You can also find time delay fuses which will
burn out after the car is started—thus immobilizing it—unless a switch is hit.
Tracking Devices
Installing a tracking device in your car is an excellent option. There are
many different options available (Onstar, Boomerang, ResQ, Networkcar), but a
recent study of LoJack conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research is
especially interesting.
“With Lojack, a small radio transmitter is hidden in one of many possible
locations within a car. When the car is reported stolen, the police remotely
activate the transmitter, allowing specially equipped police cars and
helicopters to track the precise location and movement of the stolen vehicle.
Of stolen vehicles equipped with Lojack, 95 percent are recovered, compared to
roughly 60 percent of stolen vehicles overall.”
Of course, there are some complaints regarding these tracking devices. The
signal can be disrupted - a common
complaint with Onstar, which will also shut off the signal after 48 hours
unless you request to have it stay on. Still, the success rate of finding
stolen motor vehicles equipped with tracking devices is hard to ignore. Even if
the car ends up in a chop shop, many such shops have been found and closed
thanks to tracking devices.
VIN Etching
VIN etching is a process of etching your vehicle identification number on
different parts of the car. Most commonly, these etchings are done on every
glass surface, but they can also be done on many other parts of your car. With
the VIN etched on different parts, it makes the car that much harder to sell or
chop up. Professionals will see this and look for a car that is less trouble to
get rid of.