Car Security

It's amazing how many people jump out of their cars and don't think twice to go back and check it's locked. It takes just a couple of seconds and you should try and get yourself into a regular routine of doing this. Even if a crook doesn't have the keys to your car, if he can gain access to the insides, he could release the bonnet cache and thus do anything to the engine or break system of your car. Giving the criminal access to the inside of your vehicle may allow him to toe your car or he could cause the car to collide with another which would result in an insurance claim.

Make sure that all your doors are locked and your windows are closed with no gaps showing. Think about this, how long it takes to check all your doors are locked.....5 maybe 10 seconds.....virtually nothing

Get yourself into a routine of doing this and you will be doing this automatically. It's a good habit to get into :)

If your vehicle has some value to it wither it's a brand new car or just your pride and joy, you may want to consider getting the number plate / VIN numbers etched into all your Windows. This is a big deterrent for criminals wanting to steal your car and then use it as a clone. It means that the crook would have to replace all windows so that the genuine registration mark is not showing. This comes at a price and will also raise suspicion.....why would you replace 4 windows that have no defects

This also helps to indentify the car if it was recovered later. You can buy car etching kits for around 15 - 25 pounds but for peace of mind its best to let a professional etcher do the job.

This is one of another big deterrents that will often put thieves off your vehicle. There are several types of stop locks available on the market one of the most popular ones are the wheel lock and break - gearstick locks. If you purchase a wheel lock for the steering wheel make sure you get one the covers the entire wheel. Some of the cheaper bar locks that slide through the steering wheel are not as strong and secure as they look.

One steering wheel lock or gearbox to break should be sufficient although if you value your vehicle then you should go for both...This maybe a bit of overkill but you have to put yourself in the shoes of a car thief.....a car with 2 dead locks on would be too much haste and stress to break, it would also cause a lot of noise to break and would attract a lot of attention.....big deterrent :)

Road tax is required by law for every vehicle that touches the road; it is an offence to drive a vehicle without displaying a valid tax disk.

Buy a tamper proof tax disk holder will protect your tax disk from becoming a victim of crime. The holders have a sticky surface on the front that faces the window... Once you snap your tax disk in it will stick to the front surface for good. If the tax disk it's removed it will tear and rip which will render it useless and prevent the criminal from changing this or trying to cash this in for a refund.

Wheel locks are there to prevent a thief from stealing your alloys. You can buy them as an individual lock for each alloy or for extra security you can dish out and purchase a complete set for each alloy.

The locks are shaped differently so that it makes it harder for the thief to remove your wheels unless he has the matching lock. For the ultimate security you can purchase 2 complete sets of wheel locks with 2 different locking treads. You should ensure that each wheel has 2 different treads on to make life harder for anybody wanting to pinch your shiny new alloys.

I'm sure a lot of you will agree that this is overkill and the likelihood of this happening is low....you are probably correct but knowing how expensive a entire set of alloys costs not to forgot the cost of four brand new tyres this can be a worthwhile investment.

Having an alarm and immobiliser fitted to your car is a good deterrent. The immobiliser works in a similar way to a fingerprint scanner, the microchip in your key is programmed to work with only your vehicle so even if a crook made a copy of your key he could not start the engine.

The alarm works mainly by movement although some pre-fitted alarms trigger once the doors open or the ignition is switched on. If one of the doors is opened or the sensor detects movement the alarm is activated. Some of the newer alarms also disable the engine to prevent the crook from simply just driving away.

Both the alarm and immobiliser should be wired onto the same circuit as the ignition or engine management system. This will prevent the crook from simply removing the fuse in an attempt to bypass the system. If its wires to the engine management system and the fuse is pulled to this circuit the car will not start. Full Stop.

Some car kits come with warning stickers that you can place on your vehicle - If you have them use them.