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High Risk Auto Insurance
- Think Your Car is Safe from Thieves? Think Again
By:ARA Content
Every time you park your car, you're taking
a risk.
Just ask David J. of Stanford, Conn., whose
1998 high-performance Acura Integra Type R was stolen right under
his nose just one month after he installed a top-of-the-line security
system for $1,500.
"They found it three weeks later, stripped
clean," he added.
David's experience is not unusual, says James
Cooper, CEO of Ultimate Security Systems Corporation of Irvine,
Calif. Despite manufacturers' claims to the contrary, most security
systems are easy to overpower and hardly even slow down a professional
thief, said Cooper, whose firm created and markets the PowerLock
anti-theft system.
Every 25 seconds
The National Insurance Crime Bureau (www.nicb.org)
reports that 1.1 million vehicles are stolen nationwide each year.
That's one vehicle every 25 seconds in what has become a $7.5 billion-a-year-industry,
according to the Insurance Information Institute (www.iii.org),
a trade organization. It's an industry, moreover, dominated by organized
auto-theft rings that steal cars to fill contract orders. And no
wonder: A $20,000 stolen vehicle can be stripped and sold into $30,000
worth of parts, insurers say.
Your car doesn't have to be a high-performance
vehicle like David J's to be an attractive target for a thief with
a list of parts, or with orders for a particular make and model
of a car. Different models of the popular Toyota Camry and Honda
Accord swept eight of the top 10 list of cars reported stolen in
2000, according to an annual study conducted by CCC Information
Services Inc., a Chicago-based supplier of software and communications
systems to auto insurers. Chevrolet and Ford pickups captured the
other two slots.
Brett Ploumen didn't have a security system
on his 1992 Chevrolet Astrovan. But he thought he was taking appropriate
precautions by parking in well-lighted, high-traffic areas and locking
his vehicle's doors and windows. (You
can find more info about auto insurance
here)
Ploumen found out differently when he went
to dinner with friends at a busy neighborhood strip mall in Santa
Ana, Calif. "When we returned, the Astrovan wasn't there. There
was broken glass on the ground and another vehicle in the parking
place," Ploumen recalled.
"Three days later they found it, wrapped
in a tarp on a side street," he said. The entire front end
of the car was gone - it had essentially been turned into a trailer,
and a beat-up trailer at that. When he saw it, "I was sick
to my stomach instantly," Ploumen said.
Some popular devices
Cooper describes some of the most popular
auto security devices, and the drawbacks that allow thieves to get
around them:
1. Bar or wheel locks: Steering wheel bars
lock up the steering wheel; wheel locks prevent the theft of wheels
and tires.
How to get around them: All it takes is a
pair of bolt cutters or a hacksaw. "They saw through the steering
wheel, slide off the bar lock and hot-wire the car. It takes anywhere
from 15-30 seconds," Cooper said.
2. Audible alarms: Known in the industry
as "nuisance alarms," these alerts are intended to scare
thieves away.
How to get around them: Audible alarms are
almost universally ignored. Additionally, a professional thief can
cut a wire and silence the alarm in seconds.
3. Pedal locks: This device locks the brakes.
How to get around them: They can be bridged
or cut in 15-60 seconds.
4. Electronic immobilizing devices: These
devices are designed to disconnect all power from the starter, preventing
thieves from bypassing the ignition and hot-wiring the vehicle.
They can be installed at the factory or purchased as an aftermarket
item.
How to get around them: Seasoned thieves
dismantle these systems or wire around them in seconds, usually
by cutting two wires. Additionally, thieves easily find override
or valet switches used by owners to disarm the systems.
5. Tracking systems: These devices transmit
a radio signal to locate the car.
How to get around them: Tracking devices
can be removed at a chop shop before a theft is reported. Or the
car can be stripped and dumped before the owner finds out it's been
stolen.
6. Solenoid immobilizer systems: Although
categorized as an immobilizer, this kind of system is based on a
different principle than most electronic security systems. PowerLock
is one example. It attaches permanently to the vehicle's starter
motor, where it effectively prevents hot-wiring. Once installed,
such a system is mpossible to remove, bypass or disable.
How to get around them: It can't be hot-wired,
says Cooper. "A system like this is virtually impossible to
circumvent," he says. The only way to steal a car protected
by such a system is to tow it away.
Personal Security
Cooper also warns consumers to be aware of
the capacity of their security system. "A lot of so-called
security systems consist of remote entry and flashing lights. A
lot of people think of that as automobile security, and it really
isn't: It's a convenience feature. Some manufacturers are beginning
to recognize that, and label it as 'personal security.'"
After his nightmare experience, Ploumen is
an evangelist for adding a security system to your car. "Look
into some kind of aftermarket security system," he advises
consumers. "Find something you feel comfortable with - and
that's proven." (You can find
more info about auto insurance here)
Ploumen has researched the security field
thoroughly since his van was stolen. He briefly considered a brake
lock, but decided it wasn't practical. He chose Ultimate Security
Systems' Powerlock after a friend told him about it.
David J. also purchased a Powerlock system
after replacing his Acura Integra Type R. "I came across it
on the Internet. It was not expensive, so I thought, 'Why not give
it a try?'" He added three additional layers of security with
brake and pedal locks, plus a tracking system.
David became a would-be victim again a few
months later. This time, though, his story has a happy ending. The
thieves pried the door open with a "Slim Jim," bent the
clutch pedal sideways to circumvent the AutoLock, then broke the
ignition switch in an attempt to hot wire the car. When PowerLock
circumvented that effort, they tried rolling the car down a nearby
hill to pop the clutch. That didn't work, either, so they abandoned
the car. The tracking system helped authorities recover the car
a short time later.
For more information, contact USSC,
17173 Gillette Avenue, Suite 5, Irvine, Calif. 92614; (800) 231-7131,
or visit www.powerlock.com.
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