Preventing Carjackings & BREAK-INS
With an uptick in travel after the end of pandemic restrictions, there was plenty of buzz around the organizational disasters at various airports resulting in countless disconcerted travellers losing their luggage. But luggage isn’t the only thing that Canadians seem to be losing these days!
2022 has also been a big year for stolen vehicles with an increase in carjackings! Although car theft has always been a possibility, the most common victims were previously car dealerships and the owners of vehicles of very specific and sought-after makes and models. These thefts were often inside jobs or performed by professionals in the middle of the night, the cars whisked off to shipping containers and never seen again. Unfortunately, although those crimes do still exist, today’s carjackings have occurred at all hours of the day, in public areas and are performed by criminals with various motives. So what does this mean? In a nutshell, more vehicles are at risk of being stolen than ever before - a fact that is exacerbated by the issue of limited new and used vehicle inventory.
If you have the misfortune of being accosted by carjackers, it’s of course advisable to toss them the keys and say sayonara to your car. That said, although there, unfortunately, isn’t any particular method that is 100% effective in stopping car theft altogether, there are some preventative measures you can take to avoid having your vehicle stolen and make it less of a target. Here’s what we suggest…
Install a Kill Switch
One preventative measure is to install a kill switch in your vehicle. These simple devices ensure that your car doesn’t get snatched. If you’re not familiar with this technology, as the name suggests, it’s literally a wired-in, manual switch that needs to be turned on in order to start the engine or vehicle. When these switches are off, they break a connection and make the cycle incomplete to stop the vehicle from operating. The key to this tactic though is to have the switch installed somewhere out of sight, as a thief need only flick the switch on to drive away with your vehicle.
Options for kill switches include; ignition wire kill switches, battery disconnect switches, remote car battery kill switches, fuse box kill switches and fuel line kill switches, some of which are shown int he photos above. Whichever you choose, they are the simplest, cheapest and most effective way to prevent car theft. To learn more about this process and select the best option for you and your vehicle, get in touch!
Install a Dash Cam
When clients think of dash cams, they usually associate them with recording the details of car accidents but there is another potential reason to install one. In the same way that we trust CCTV to keep our homes and commercial buildings safe, the dash cam is also one of the best anti-theft devices available on the market. If you select the right make and model, the dash cam will not only record what happens to your vehicle while driving but can protect and monitor while your vehicle is parked. Through sensors that start recording if any disturbances are detected, safety and security are increased by deterring thieves from stealing or damaging your car. If an actual attempt at theft occurs, you’ll have the peace of mind that your dash cam will record crisp and clear footage, which can be shared with police and insurance companies.
Other Options
If you do a quick google, you will see an endless list of vehicle theft prevention products and, TBH, most of them are pretty useless. As we already mentioned, the kill switch is your best bet, followed by a dash cam, both of which we can professionally install, hard- wire and hide. Apart from that, sometimes the simplest methods are the best for deterring potential break-ins or carjackings. For additional peace of mind, you can also consider low-tech options that create a barrier.
The next time you pass by a dealership, take a look at what lines the perimeter of the lot. You will likely see that the property is surrounded by metal cylinders called bollards. Depending on how far you want to go, this is yet another option for protection at personal residences as well as commercial properties. From fixed and semi-automatic retractable bollards to automatic electro-mechanical and hydraulic ones, there are a lot of options for protecting your vehicle, along with other assets.
In addition to these options, though definitely not a novel concept, tinting your vehicle’s windows helps conceal your car's interior. If a thief can’t see clearly into your vehicle, they are less likely to take the risk. For top-of-the-line results, we use only the highest quality window tint, called Ceramic Window Tint.
Concerned about the safety of your vehicle? Contact us to learn more about your options.