Car theft is one of the most prevalent forms of property crime in Plateau state. It has been a reoccurring incident with complaints from various angry citizens. It is the criminal act of stealing or the attempted stealing of a car. It’s a concern almost everywhere in the country, but more so in some places than others.
According to statistics, the private car theft rate in Nigeria is 2,043 per 100,000 population in 2013 and the figures have fluctuated over the years.
Criminals are opportunistic; they usually plan out their various theft and adoption methods before carrying out their mission. Most of the time criminals steal cars to help themselves commit other robberies; likewise, they sell the cars or their parts to gain more money for themselves.
Technology has helped mankind in various ways. Its adoption has steadily improved and created various automobile anti-theft features. Technology has great potential to not only address car thefts but to also ensure the safety of drivers and passengers.
Here are a few ways to prevent car theft using technology:
1. GET STEERING WHEEL LOCKS
Steering wheel locks are easy to put on and take off. It is a locking rod-type device made of metal and plastic that stretches across your cars steering wheel and makes it immobile. What that means is that if a thief gets into your car, starts and attempts to take it without removing the lock first; they won’t be able to drive the car. The wheel lock makes it completely useless. It advisable to get a lock that fits your car appropriately.
2. PURCHASE A CAR ALARM
Car alarms contain shock or vibration sensors that detect or respond to security threats like when a person or something is attempting to move or gain access to the vehicle. They work by emitting high-volume sounds when triggered. There are also certain components in a car like radio receivers, motion detectors and pressure sensors that enable the alarm to function even when the main battery of the car fails. This will alert you once a thief tries to get your car.
3. USE TIRE AND RIM LOCKS
Tire and rim locks have huge advantage in anti-theft. They lock unto the outside of the wheel and lock shut, preventing the wheels from turning when attempting to drive away. They are also a great visual deterrent that will likely keep thieves away and makes the car more difficult to steal. Tire wheel locks come in sets and each pair has their own key. In a situation where you lose your wheel lock key, you could call a mechanic or an auto repair shop. They have special tools for this purpose that enable them solve the problem.
4. INSTALL A GPS DEVICE TO TRACK YOUR CAR
Installing a GPS device is a great way to recover your car when it gets missing. They are generally very easy to install. Just plug the tracker into the cars OBD port and follow up on its whereabouts using your Smartphone. The information that is gotten from the vehicle is then stored and relays it back to your device; making it easy and fast to get your car back if it ever gets stolen.
5. APPLY A KILL SWITCH
Since parking in a safe-looking spot is usually effective but also very targetable, installing a well-hidden kill switch is a smart way to deter potential thieves. It is a cheap way to keep your car safe. It is usually connected to one of your cars vital parts like the fuel pump, battery, ignition, etc. in order to ‘kill’ the power to the part when it’s switched on. As effective as this may be it isn’t entirely for everyone. A kill switch changes the way a car operates. By bypassing the ignition system, one can no longer use the key. Instead, a remote, button or Smartphone app is used. This discourages many people but if you hold a strong sentiment to your car, this could be very effective for you.
Aside this five helpful ways one could prevent car theft using technology; it is also advisable to get a car or auto insurance as insurance policies protect you financially. But this shouldn’t give you the option of becoming non-challant with protecting your car.
