What security features you should have on a new car?

By Martin Pretorius 

It starts with keeping them out

As you'd imagine, staunch door locks are the first line of defence against the long-fingered. This is why, starting back in the 1980s, manufacturers have started paying closer attention to the locks themselves (to make them harder to pick), as well as securing the mountings and mechanisms connecting the locks and the latches. 

But there's a glaring weakness elsewhere in every car door, and that's the glass. Sure, modern tempered glass is harder to break than ever, but it's still not impervious to a well-aimed brick or a crowbar. For this reason, adding some form of smash-and-grab film is always a good idea: it helps protect against casual “walk-by” crime in traffic, but it also makes it more difficult for a thief to gain access to an unattended car. In fact, smash-and-grab is one of the few dealer-fitted extras you really shouldn't do without.

Immobilising the electronics

There have been all manner of immobilising tricks applied to cars over the years, from removing some part of the ignition system to fitting hidden cut-out switches. Then, someone came up with the idea of incorporating numerous immobilising devices inside a single control unit, and the modern immobiliser was born.

This technology has become so widespread that most manufacturers now incorporate some version of the idea as standard equipment. The typical approach is to have the keys matched to the engine control/immobiliser unit by means of a transponder built into the key: if the control unit recognises the electronic “fingerprint” of the matched key, it allows the engine to start up. If not, it's a no go.

These immobilisers can also be fitted as standalone units on the aftermarket. It's a simple principle: interrupt some of the engine's vital power lines and sensor inputs, and it won't start. These immobilisers are typically operated by remote control, though some older units may require a jack plug to be inserted or an access code entered on a keypad. Check with your dealer whether your car has an integrated (factory) immobiliser and what level of protection it provides, and add extra, aftermarket safeguards if you're not comfortable with your new car's standard immobiliser.

Physically disabling your car

While it's fine and well to force the car to stay put by interrupting its engine's control system or wiring, there's still no substitute for literally locking it down. One of the best-known methods of accomplishing this is by means of a gear- or steering lock. While all new cars come ex-factory with a steering column lock, these mechanisms are not that difficult to bypass through the simple application of force, because of their construction, which is by necessity quite compact and thus less sturdy.

A very effective way to get past this limitation involves adding a gear lock, which physically locks the transmission into either reverse gear (manual) or the Park position (automatic). To get the gearbox out of this position, a lock has to be released with an old-fashioned key. Depending on the gear lock's design, this is generally an extremely effective security feature, and helps keep your car where left it.

Security on the move

With hijacking being such a popular pastime for South African thieves, it's not enough to secure your car when it's standing still, but it should also be secure when you're on the move and all these passive barriers are set aside. To this end, anti-hijack systems are popular items on the aftermarket scene, seeing as no manufacturer fits such systems in the factory.

Anti-hijack systems work by enforcing a time delay in the car's operation. This means that, once the system is triggered (such as by opening a door), the driver will have a certain set time to press a hidden security button. Failing to do so will result in the engine spluttering to a halt after this time limit has passed, theoretically giving the driver and passengers time to get away from the car after being hijacked.

In reality, this is only partially effective: hijackers quickly learned how these systems work, and now often either force the driver to go with them (to press the hidden button if needed) or force the driver to point out the location of this button. For this reason, the latest anti-hijack systems employ remote activation, immobilising the car via radio signal, only after the victim phoned a call centre.

On the right track

Such remotely activated immobiliser/anti-hijack system are often also linked to a tracking service, whereby a third party is employed to track down the car in the event of a theft or hijacking. These tracking systems are generally very effective, and in many cases result in the stolen car being recovered very quickly, but they can be foiled by underground parking garages or even tall buildings.

In the end, your optimum car security solution will depend on your car's specific blend of strengths and weaknesses. Most high-end cars already come with most of these systems (apart from gear locks and anti-hijack devices) built-in, but lower-budget cars usually present some gap in their security regimen, which need to be plugged on the aftermarket. 

Find out if you need additional security measures from your insurance company, as they are best-equipped to point out known weaknesses in your particular car's armour. For the rest, just try to make your car slightly more difficult to nab than the one next to it – just like upstanding citizens, thieves also tend to choose the path of least resistance. And for goodness' sake: keep your doors locked and the windows closed!