Auto Theft Prevention Made Easy

Since December 1st, there have been over 30 vehicle thefts in the greater Clairemont area according to the CrimeMapping.com website. Many of these thefts were preventable if the car owner had bothered to take just one additional precaution.

It may come as a surprise to many that car alarms are not the first line of defense when it comes to stopping a car thief. The fact is that a car alarm is only activated after somebody decides to steal your car and breaks into it! It is important to realize that most car alarm horns can be deactivated by a skilled thief in under 30 seconds from the time it first sounds. Preventing someone from wanting to steal your car in the first place is much more effective than having only a car alarm which goes to work after a thief breaks into your car. In tandem having a car alarm and an inexpensive antitheft device are highly effective in preventing your car from ever being stolen.

The most common anti-theft device is the steering wheel lock. These brightly colored hardened steel locking devices attach to the steering wheel in plain sight for all to see. The locked bar blocks the steering wheel from being turned and prevents the car from being driven away. It also is easy for a thief to see for himself before he breaks into your car! If a thief can’t drive your car away he is much less likely to try to steal it!

When would-be thieves notice a brightly colored steering wheel lock attached to the steering wheel of a car they normally won’t even consider trying to steal that car! The thief knows it riskier and takes a lot more time to defeat a steering wheel lock than it would take to steal someone else’s car that doesn’t have a steering wheel lock attached. It takes a semiskilled thief only a second or two to enter the car, another minute to pop the ignition, disconnect the alarm horn, and drive away. But if that thief has to try to defeat a hardened steal steering wheel lock in addition to their routine thief-like chores it adds an element of risk that they would much rather avoid.

The biggest single challenge to using the club actually is using the club. Too many owners buy them and leave them on the floor in the back seat where they don’t do any good at all. So do yourself a favor this year and buy a steering wheel lock and use it. These locks range in price from $15 to $65 and come in a wide variety of colors including red, yellow, pink, and now you can even buy them in neon colors. Please remember, if you want to prevent car your car from being stolen buy one….use it!

Steve Innis
Director-At-Large