In a down economy, the crime rate always goes up, including the incidence of vehicle thefts. Because of this, more and more drivers and vehicle owners are looking into car alarm systems - and so should you. Current estimates hold that a car is stolen in our country every thirty seconds or so. A car alarm can help deter theft of your vehicle or vehicle contents just with its presence. Even those vehicles who have a factory installed car alarm should consider an aftermarket car alarm because most thieves have the ability to break into cars with factory only systems. (Yes, the bad guys are well-schooled when it comes to these types of systems). Let's look at what you need to consider when purchasing car alarm systems to protect your vehicle and your property located inside your vehicle, like your GPS system, CD changer and more.
Basic Systems
Basic alarm systems are inexpensive and work by having a sensor that sounds an alarm (either a siren or your car's own horn) if someone tries to enter your vehicle. These are usually factory installed and are activated by the act of you locking your doors with a touch pad attached to your key fob. If your car or other vehicle did not come from the factory with this basic system, you can purchase and easily install one of these types of alarm systems yourself. These systems will also lock the steering wheel if someone attempts to turn the ignition without a key. At very minimum, every car should have this basic protection.
Advanced Systems
A higher level of protection against vehicle theft is ideal. You can purchase car alarm systems that are sensitive to such occurrences as glass breaking, an impact on the body of the car, an interruption in your car's starter circuit (hot wiring), and remote start from another source for your car's ignition, trunk release, or window functions. While a basic system is usually wired to the car's battery (which can be quickly deactivated by an eager car thief, advanced car alarm systems are not that easily overridden as they rely on an auxiliary power source. If, for instance, thieves cut the battery cable quickly after the alarm sounds, this auxiliary power kicks in automatically - oftentimes scaring thieves off or at very least - alerting surrounding folks to their presence.
Who Needs an Alarm?
You may be quite shocked to find that you need to look at installing an alarm even if you drive an older model car. You may not think that your 1995 Honda Civic is a target for thieves, but according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, this model was post popular among thieves as recently as 2007, followed closely by the 1989 Toyota Camry! And since most people don't put the maximum amount of insurance coverage on older vehicles like these, they are stuck with absorbing the entire loss of a stolen vehicle. This is a great incentive to take a closer look at car alarm systems, even if you don't have a late model vehicle to protect.
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