Vehicle Protection - Threats against vehicles and persons in vehicles seem to be multiplying every day. One has to be on guard against vehicle theft, carjacking, kidnapping, delivery vehicle robbery and an ever expanding list of threats. Just as the threats increase so do the measures that are promoted for protection against these threats. This article will look at three of the most commonly used vehicle protection measures. Specialised locks One of the earliest vehicle protection measures was the use of specialised locks, particularly wheel locks and door locks. Specialised locks continue to be used with steering locks and gear locks now being the most common. These locks usually consist of a bolt of hardened steel with a high security lock. They are either fastened to the steering wheel to prevent the wheel being turned or over the gear level to prevent the gear from being engaged. Over time there has been refinement in these locks in that while most use a mechanical key you can now get models that are operated by numeric keypads. The original versions of these locks were easy to see within the vehicle and the sight acted as a deterrent to thieves but you can now get versions that are concealed. These specialised locks are good for when the vehicle is parked and you are not in it, so they function as both a deterrent and a prevention measure. They do however require you to develop the habit of using them because having a specialised lock and not using it is a waste of time and money. With these locks there is always the danger of the “unguarded moment”, the one time that you forgot to use it. These locks also do not protect against crimes that occur when you are in the vehicle such as carjacking. Alarms Vehicle alarm systems are another popular anti-theft device. The majority of these devices are designed to detect someone opening the doors or trunk or bonnet and trigger a siren if the alarms system has been turned on. Newer systems incorporate additional detection devices to provide greater protection, so some systems will also detect rocking of the vehicle and others have added Passive Infra-Red sensors to detect persons who enter without opening the doors. One of the shortcomings of earlier vehicle alarm systems was that they required the driver to physically turn them on, usually by means of a key, thus running the risk of the driver forgetting. While there are still systems that require the driver to arm them, often by means of remote button, the newest systems will automatically arm themselves once the vehicle has been switched off. The intent of most vehicle alarm systems is to detect a theft attempt and trigger a siren. The concept being that individuals (passersby or the driver) will hear the siren and go towards the vehicle disrupting the theft attempt. The frequency of false alarms however has resulted in the majority of persons ignoring vehicle alarms when they hear them. In addition the majority of vehicle alarms have been designed to work when no one is in the vehicle thus not providing protection in carjacking or kidnapping situations. Vehicle alarm manufacturers have responded by enhancing the systems with immobilisers (also known as a kill switch). With the most common types of vehicle alarms the transmitter for the immobiliser must be in the vehicle in order for the vehicle to be started. Thus even if someone silenced the siren they could not drive the vehicle without the transmitter. Some manufacturers have even designed their transmitters so that the vehicle will continue to operate for a short while if the transmitter is out of the vehicle. This is useful in a carjacking situation as it allows the bandit to drive away with the vehicle putting some distance between the victim and himself before the vehicle stops. This is designed to allow the victim to escape while the car will eventually stop allowing a later easier recovery of the vehicle. Of course for these immobiliser systems to be effective in a carjacking, the driver cannot keep the immobiliser transmitter next to the ignition key. As a further refinement some vehicle alarm manufacturers have added panic buttons as part of the alarm system. Thus in a personal attack, the driver can press the panic button, triggering the siren in the hope that someone will hear the siren and act. GPS Vehicle tracking systems based on the use of GPS are the newest measure being employed in Trinidad and Tobago as a protective device. GPS stands for the Global Positioning System (GPS) that is a satellite-based radio-navigation system developed and operated by the U.S. Department of Defence (DOD). The GPS system consists of 24 satellites orbiting the earth in 6 circular orbits. GPS provides the user with their 3-dimensional position, their current velocity and the exact time. The information from vehicles outfitted with a GPS device is captured at the central control point and updated to a web site and so accessible to the user. GPS vehicle tracking was primarily designed as a means of managing vehicle fleets to improve company efficiency and so ultimately company profitability. This still remains one of the primary benefits of GPS vehicle tracking, however individuals have seen the benefit of being able to accurately identify the position of a vehicle as a means of dealing with the threats of vehicle theft, carjacking, kidnapping and delivery vehicle robbery. In addition some suppliers of vehicle tracking systems in Trinidad and Tobago have enhanced their GPS tracking systems to provide benefits that help reduce loss from these threats. There are now multiple suppliers in Trinidad and Tobago offering GPS vehicle tracking systems. As in all things it is important to assess each supplier to determine if their system adequately meets your needs. Some of the factors to consider if you are looking at GPS for protection as opposed to fleet management are: · How accurate are the maps that are used for pinpointing the vehicle’s location? · How frequently is the vehicle position updated on the map so that you have the most accurate location? · Does the system have a panic button to alert someone that there is a problem? · Does the panic button provide instant alerts to a security company? · Is there any arrangement for security response to panic button signals? · Does the system have the facility for monitoring of conversations in the vehicle during an emergency? · Does the system have the ability for two way voice communication in an emergency? · Does the system give you a choice of telecommunication provider? As the above article has sought to point out, each protective device has been designed to counteract specific threats. In determining the most appropriate protective device you must assess what is your most likely threat. It may be that for the best protection you need a combination of systems.
Posted on: Tue, 16 Jul 2013 06:43:35 +0000
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