How Anti theft Systems Contribute to Lower Car Thefts

What are the odds of getting your car stolen? According to crime reports from the FBI, 1 in every 371 cars was reported stolen in 2015 in the U.S. To put those figures into context, around 700,000 vehicles were stolen in the same year.

While those numbers may seem high, it’s far less than the figures that were available for car thefts over two decades earlier. In fact, vehicle theft data for 1991 showed the felonious practice at an all-time high when over 1.6 million vehicles were stolen. Since then, the numbers have gone down year after year, with the latest figures showing a 1.5% reduction in motor vehicle theft for 2016 over 2015.

So, what’s changed? In addition to onboard security features on many modern vehicles and anti-theft legislation, car anti-theft systems have also played a major role in deterring theft and vandalism. From car alarms to more sophisticated devices that can totally disable a vehicle, these systems have increasingly made it harder for criminals to steal cars. Here are several ways that they have done this:

• Raising an alarm: Car alarms are primary forms of anti-theft systems and, while they may not prevent car theft on their own, have warded off many would-be thieves by drawing attention.
• Preventing cars from being driven off: More and more, modern cars are requiring biometric data in order to be operated. These new anti-theft systems are making it harder for potential thieves to just start your car and drive away.
• Providing tracking and surveillance: Many of the top car anti-theft systems available on the market allow users to track stolen vehicles, most commonly by GPS, making it easier for them to be recovered and for culprits to be prosecuted.
Disabling vehicles: A number of sophisticated car security devices have the ability to kill the engine remotely when the car is deemed as stolen. Some may even lock the doors, ensuring that the car thief stays put until law enforcers arrive.

These and other reasons are directly impacting the car-stealing business. However, many car thefts occur due to complacency, lack of judgement and simple human errors, which means that car anti-theft systems could possibly be even more effective if people were more vigilant.