The SAS Survival Driver’s Handbook

The latest innovation in alarms is the use of specially formulated, non-toxic smoke. In the event of an attempted car-jacking or attack, there is a 35-second countdown. If the owner does not reset the system, the engine starts to misfire and progressive immobilization begins: lights flash, the horn sounds and the engine stops completely. Finally a dense smokescreen is pumped into the car. The car remains immobilized until the correct PIN number is entered.

Whichever system you choose, make sure there is a good visual deterrent such as a flashing light visible from outside the car. And, most important of all, remember to switch your alarm on — even if you’re only leaving the car for a couple of minutes.

IMMOBILIZERS (#ulink_391ea9c7-be6d-5cbc-bf67-0acb4567aeff)

There are two main types of immobilizer: mechanical (for example, crook locks and clamps which physically prevent the operation of controls such as the steering wheel or gear lever) and electronic. An electronic immobilizer is wired into the car’s electrics to prevent the engine from being started. (A third form of immobilizer is the steering column lock, fitted as standard in all cars built since 1972. This operates when the key is removed from the ignition, and the steering wheel is turned until it clicks.) Of these, the electronic immobilizer is the most difficult for thieves to get around, because the wiring is designed to be as complicated and confusing as possible — making it no easy matter to snip the wires or re-route the circuit.

The most basic electronic immobilizers work by breaking the starter motor circuit. More sophisticated (and therefore more difficult to bypass) versions are connected to the ignition system. Some systems switch themselves on automatically whenever the car is left, which saves you having to remember. The device used to override the immobilizer varies from a key which you insert into a socket in the dashboard, or a remote control handset, or a key pad which you use to type in a secret code number.

It is possible to buy a combined alarm/immobilizer system which prevents the engine being started when the alarm is activated — this is the best system to go for, because an immobilizer by itself will not protect your cars from smash- and-grab thieves or vandals, or from being loaded on to another vehicle or towed away.

Check out which system is best for you with a dealer — don’t buy secondhand, because a manufacturer’s warranty is well worth having, and with a dealer you can find out exactly what features the system has and arrange for it to be professionally fitted. It can be very dangerous if an immobilizer activates when the car is moving, so ask your dealer what safeguards are built in to prevent this.

Most immobilizers are invisible, so remember to place the manufacturer’s stickers in the window to warn potential thieves that the car is protected.

TRACKING/RECOVERY SYSTEMS (#ulink_a4f933e5-7824-5d2b-a603-854c6f0e83d6)

For a top-of-the-range high-performance or luxury car (or caravan) thieves are prepared to put in a lot of effort. Organized gangs have equipped themselves with tow trucks so that they can transport stolen vehicles to a workshop where immobilizers and alarms can be deactivated out of the public gaze. Once the car is in their hands there is little hope of recovering it — unless you have it fitted with an electronic tracking system.

As soon as you report the car or caravan stolen, a high-powered transmitter will send a coded message to activate a small transponder unit concealed within your car, which then broadcasts a silent homing signal. These signals can be picked up by the police (there are control units throughout the country equipped with Tracker detectors, especially at ports and on major motorways). Even if the car is hidden away in a garage, the police can locate it.

Tracker systems are expensive, so it’s really only worth considering for a valuable car. Contact one of the major motoring organizations or your insurance company for further details (your insurance premiums may be reduced because of the chances of recovering the vehicle are dramatically improved with a tracker system).

MECHANICAL DEVICES (#ulink_f72c5643-6f8a-57d2-b8ce-f7d45c3618c1)

If your car is old and low in value, it’s not worth spending a fortune on an electronic immobilizer or alarm system. But don’t assume that thieves won’t give it a second glance — unprotected old cars are favourite targets. Fit a mechanical immobilizer to make it as hard and time-consuming as possible for the thief to drive your car away.

Most of these devices are made of hacksaw-resistant metal with a heavy lock to prevent use of one or more of the car’s controls. You can fit them yourself and transfer them from car to car, because they are universal in design. They should be highly visual, because the first line of defence is to force the potential crook to look elsewhere for easier pickings. None of these devices can protect your car from a determined thief — the most they will do is slow him down. And they can’t protect the car from vandals or smash-and-grab raids on the contents. So if you’ve got an expensive car or if you have to leave valuable items in the car, only use a mechanical immobilizer in conjunction with a more sophisticated alarm or immobilizer.

Steering wheel clamps to prevent the wheel being rotated more than a few degrees

Steering wheel to pedal locks, to prevent the clutch and/or brake pedal from operating

Gear lever and gear-to-handbrake locks, to prevent movement of the gear lever. (If your car has a gear lever which can be unscrewed, a thief can easily bypass this.)

LOCKS (#ulink_7fda2bb0-a09e-5e0b-8ef6-c4602816d019)

It’s all to easy when you’re in a hurry to forget to lock all the doors, especially when you’re carrying passengers and need to ensure that their doors are locked as well. With central locking, the only door you need to remember to lock is the driver’s door, because then all the other doors will be locked automatically. Many new cars come with central locking as standard, but if yours is not equipped there are kits available for most makes and models. These kits can operate two or four doors — and on some cars the boot or hatch, too.

When buying a kit or a car fitted with central locking, check with the dealer that in the event of a serious collision the locks will pop open so that rescuers can get you out of the car. In some countries this is a legal requirement.

Deadlocks

Deadlocks (or ‘double locks’) are the most effective form of lock. Whereas ordinary locks can be opened by smashing a window and using the interior control, or by using a coathanger or special tool to tamper with the lock mechanism, deadlocks cannot be opened from inside or outside without the key. This means that the prospective car thief would have to climb in through a broken window, making him very conspicuous.

Most deadlocks have a normal position and a high-security position. When leaving the car unattended you should always use the high-security position (which means giving the key an extra turn) to ensure that your car is protected. If you have to leave children locked in the car while you run a quick errand, use the normal locking position so that rescuers can free them in case of an emergency.

Locking wheel nuts

Alloy wheels are expensive and an easy target for thieves, so fit lockable wheel nuts or bolts to prevent them from being stolen. These usually come in sets of four — one per wheel — and you can fit them yourself. Always carry the key in case you have a puncture.

Locking fuel cap

Fit a locking fuel cap to prevent thieves from siphoning your petrol/diesel, or from filling up when the tank runs dry. The cap should take a different key to the doors and ignition, because otherwise thieves can steal the cap and use it to make a copy of your car keys.

If you can’t afford a shop-bought immobilizer, If you can’t afford a shop-bought immobilizer, or if you want some additional security, try one of the following measures when leaving the car in a dubious area:

Use a stout chain padlocked from the steering wheel to the clutch pedal, preventing the clutch from being depressed.

Leave the minimum amount of fuel in the car, so if it gets stolen it can’t be driven far. A valve on the fuel line which can be closed to prevent fuel entering the carburettor is probably more effective. This can be discreetly hidden under the bonnet.

Remove the HT lead. This is a push fit lead which clips in between the coil and the distributor.

On older cars the rotor arm can be removed. Unclip the distributor and lift out the rotor arm.

On some models it is possible to remove the gear lever by unscrewing it.

Some people have even removed the steering wheel when parking their car.

If you do remove any component, to save carrying it around, lock it in the boot. You are less likely to lose it or misplace it if you do this. Hide it away so even the most determined of car thieves will not detect it. In the boot lid there are channels that can be used for this purpose.

Deterrents (#ulink_67e27491-c93f-5628-b90d-91a6c5f39177)

If the manufacturer hasn’t already done so, have the registration number or VIN (see panel below) etched on to all glass surfaces — windscreen, sunroof, wing mirrors, lights and windows. This will deter thieves who ‘ring’ stolen cars, because instead of simply changing the number plates to give it a new identity they will have to replace all the marked glass — an expensive process.

Some insurance companies will security-etch your windows for free. Alternatively, you can buy a do-it-yourself kit from an accessory shop or consult your local Crime Prevention Officer for a list of garages and specialists who provide the service.

Of course, security etching won’t deter joy riders or thieves who smash a side window to steal your radio. You can make life more difficult for these opportunists by having the side windows covered with a transparent laminated polyester film. This sticks to the inside of the window and prevents the glass from breaking when struck with a brick or other blunt instrument. It will also mean that in the event of an accident the glass will craze rather than showering you with sharp fragments. You will still be able to escape through the window, if necessary, by pushing the whole window out.

Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) (#ulink_aa4ab952-7567-588f-beed-9a0502017de5)

Every car has its own VIN displayed in the engine compartment. A new innovation, at the moment restricted to luxury cars, is to have the VIN printed on lots of tiny microdots the size of a pin head and scattered throughout the car during manufacture. By examining the car with a special detector it is possible to check that the VIN microdots tally with the number displayed in the engine compartment. Since luxury cars have the greatest risk of being ‘ringed’, these microdot VINs are a feature worth having.

VEHICLE WATCH (#ulink_066c8542-5880-5212-8eae-61c3143f3784)

This is a scheme operated by some police forces (so far, mostly in urban areas). It works like this: few people make a habit of driving in the middle of the night (except shiftworkers, who may seldom use their cars in the middle of the day), so the local police will fit stickers to the front and rear windows of the car advertising the hours when it is unlikely to be in use. When a police officer sees a car with a nighttime sticker being driven between 12.30–5.30 a.m. (or 10 a.m.–4.30 p.m. in the case of a day-time sticker), the car will be flagged down as a matter of course and the driver questioned and asked to confirm their identity.

CARAVAN SECURITY (#ulink_aa4ab952-7567-588f-beed-9a0502017de5)

There is a thriving market in stolen caravans. They’re more difficult to trace and therefore easier to sell than cars. Don’t trust to luck — take precautions to protect your caravan:

• Keep a note of the chassis number and put it in a safe place together with the registration documents (DON’T leave these documents in the caravan itself). It’s a good idea to take a photograph of the caravan for insurance purposes, and to draw up a list of any distinguishing features, marks, scratches — for identification purposes in the event that the stolen caravan is recovered.

• Etch the chassis number on all glass surfaces, and use an ultraviolet pen to mark it on a few other surfaces in the interior.

• Fit a security device to immobilize the caravan or sound an alarm when it is moved. Activate the security system whenever the caravan is left unattended, even for a short period. Make sure there is a reliable power source that cannot be easily interrupted by a thief, so that the alarm will sound in the event of interference.

• Do not leave valuable items inside. It’s best to leave the curtains open so that potential thieves can see that there is nothing of value to tempt them — drawn curtains may lead them to suspect that there’s something worth stealing hidden within.