Vehicle theft and hijacking are serious problems in South Africa, with no make or model being truly safe from these criminals.
With this in mind, car-tracking firm Cartrack recommends several measures one could take to protect your prized wheels from being stolen.
Steering wheel lock
Steering wheel locks are nothing new, but they’re no less effective today than they were a few decades ago.
These devices have proven to be one of the best anti-theft systems on the market as they prevent your steering wheel from turning.
As such, thieves may be able to break into your car and start it, but they won’t be able to drive it away without crashing.
Steering wheel locks come in different colours and sizes to fit everyone’s tastes and vehicles, and they are widely available at relatively affordable prices.
Gear lock system
Another old-school gadget that still works is gear locks that prevent your car from going into gear and moving.
An added benefit is that they are visible to potential thieves from the outside, just like steering wheel locks, which could discourage them from targeting your vehicle as it is time-consuming to remove the device.
To suit the latest vehicle models, internal gear locks are concealed in the gear lever console to complement the vehicle’s interior.
Immobiliser
An immobiliser is an electrical device that helps prevent the engine from being started by disabling key components such as the ignition or starter motor.
Therefore, a vehicle with one of these mechanisms will only start when it receives the correct code from the key.
This mostly applies to older vehicles, though, as modern ones generally have immobilisers built in that require the fobs to be nearby before they start.
Models with keyless-start functionality even go as far as to use a different key code each time they fire up.
Kill switch
If you’d like to take it a step further, a physical killswitch is always an option.
Installing an automotive killswitch into your battery, ignition, or fuel line can save your car from theft as it prevents it from starting altogether.
When the switch is “off” it interrupts the electrical or fuel supply to the engine, thus stopping it from running.
Faraday pouch
Vehicles with keyless entry continually emit a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) signal, this means there is no on/off switch and thieves can pick up the signal at any given time.
For owners with these types of cars, it’s advised to store the key in a Faraday Pouch when not in use.
These pouches are lined with specially made fabric that keeps the signal from being emitted from your key fob; rendering it difficult, if not impossible, for criminals to pick it up and clone it to get into your car.
GPS tracking device
If all else fails, the last line of defense in vehicle theft is a GPS tracking device.
A GPS tracker is hidden somewhere in the body of your vehicle and continuously emits real-time data detailing the exact location of your vehicle.
This can be of immense help when the authorities attempt to track and recover your stolen wheels.
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