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Auto immobilizers are No. 1 deterrent against car theft
The question that has plagued many folks for more than a century is: How can I keep my car from getting stolen? Myriad manufacturers hawk devices they claim will keep thieves at bay, but the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) has studied the age-old problem and found that auto immobilizers — devices that stop your car from starting — can reduce auto thefts better than any other deterrent.
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The Institute studied five vehicles — the Chevrolet Venture, Ford Ranger, Ford F-150, Ford F-150 4x4, and Nissan Maxima — and found that theft-claim frequency, number of thefts, and insurance payouts for theft declined dramatically for the 1999 models, which come with factory-installed immobilizers, when compared to the 1998 models, which do not come with immobilizers.
HLDI's study includes data from the 20 largest auto insurers in the nation, says Kim Hazelbaker, senior vice president at the HLDI.
Top of the heap
The '99 Maxima illustrates the potential theft-deterrence of auto immobilizers: The number of reported theft claims of that model dropped to 112 in 1999 from 770 in 1998. Immobilizers are "at the top of the heap" relative to other auto theft deterrents, Hazelbaker says.
But Hazelbaker admits that immobilizers won't deter all thieves. "Some vehicles are more likely to be targeted by professional thieves, some of whom are able to defeat even the best antitheft devices," he says.
Hazelbaker says the heyday of car alarms as effective theft deterrents is passed. "People don't think twice about just walking by a car whose alarm is going off," he says. Thus, consumers are better off with immobilizers that are self-setting, according to Hazelbaker. Self-setting immobilizers arm automatically when you walk away from your vehicle. If your vehicle didn't come with an immobilizer from the factory, you can buy a self-setting immobilizer from your local auto-security store.
| Effect of passive immobilizing antitheft devices on theft losses | |||||||
| Vehicle | Body size and type | Model year | Standard factory- installed immobilizing antitheft device | Number of claims | Claim frequency per 1,000 vehicle years | Average loss payment per claim | Average loss payment per insured vehicle year |
| Nissan Maxima | Midsize car | 1999 | yes | 112 | 3 | $5,429 | $16 |
| 1998 | no | 770 | 7.8 | $14,148 | $110 | ||
| Ford Ranger 4x4 | Small pickup | 1999 | yes | 79 | 2 | $3,784 | $7 |
| 1998 | no | 137 | 2 | $5,836 | $12 | ||
| Ford F-150 | Large pickup | 1999 | yes | 198 | 2.3 | $4,278 | $10 |
| 1998 | no | 786 | 3.3 | $7,722 | $25 | ||
| Ford F-150 4WD | Large pickup | 1999 | yes | 88 | 2.1 | $2,852 | $6 |
| 1998 | no | 234 | 2.2 | $6,956 | $15 | ||
| Chevrolet Venture | Large passenger van | 1999 | yes | 18 | 0.7 | $3,674 | $3 |
| 1998 | no | 56 | 0.8 | $4,598 | $4 | ||
| All passenger cars | 1999 | N/A | N/A | 2.2 | $5,484 | $12 | |
| 1998 | N/A | N/A | 2.5 | $5,895 | $15 | ||
| Source: Highway Loss Data Institute | |||||||
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