Selecting an Auto Security System

While a home needs a security system to protect it from burglary, vandalism, intruders, and a host of other invasive acts as well as fires and water damage, an auto security system needs to protect your car from most of those hazards, plus it must protect against theft of the car itself, which is not usually a concern with the home.

After all, since the whole reason for a car is mobility, a thief can abscond with your automobile while sitting in a six-degrees-of-freedom adjustable seat, is kept comfortable by the climate control system, breathing in the smell of fine Corinthian Leather seats while using your 4-speaker custom installed CD player to play your favorite Guy Lombardo CD. (Well, maybe not the Guy Lombardo part but you get the idea.)

So, what are you gonna do? For starters you can read the rest of this article.

Your Car's Special Security Needs

The false alarm that the typical car alarm is known for is more than just an unpleasant fact of modern life. The false alarms render car alarms nearly useless, since no one - particularly in the city - pays much attention to the earsplitting honking, squawking and various whoop-whoopings emitted by these systems. While they are sensitive, they are also not very discriminating, so they are set off by the thudding engine noise of a passing motorcycle or truck. In fact, many communities restrict the use of these systems, and notably, the State of California requires car alarms to turn themselves off after only a short interval.

All in all this has had the same effect as the boy who cried wolf once to often. Nobody is alarmed when they hear a car alarm. How ironic.

In response to this phenomenon, a newer auto alarm system has more going for it than just the ability to make a lot of noise. For one, a modern auto security system can immobilize the car if it is not started with the correct key. Another approach is to have the car transmit a radio signal so the car can be located if it is stolen. Unfortunately, the latter type of auto security system requires an recurring monthly or yearly fee in order to keep the system active. However, you need to consider the possibility of a child being in the car when it is stolen. In that light a recurring fee could be money well-spent .

Before running out and getting an auto security system, first take stock of your auto security needs. If you have a home garage would it be better to look at a security system for the garage? Or for another approach: How about a light system either in the garage or in you driveway that is turned on by a motion detector. This would deter an opportunistic thief but would still avoid having the false alarms interrupt your neighbor's sleep. A raccoon sniffing around your windshield is not typically a good reason to wake up the neighborhood.

But home garage security doesn't quite help much if you drive your car to work. But wait a minute! If the parking area at your place of work has completely adequate security or if your place of work is located close to mass transit, then you would still have your bases covered with home garage security.

There are other details to consider, too. Remember the immobilizing auto security system mentioned above? Consider this: an immobilizing auto security system doesn't protect against vandalism or theft of your car's contents and/or parts. However,  there is also such a thing as a multi-modal auto security system, which can notify you in ways other than making a racket (for example, sending an sms message to your cell phone) when your car is being tampered with.

So finding the auto security system that is right for you requires that you take into account how you use your car and the types of dangers that your use implies. Then with that in mind, look at the types of systems available. It will be effort well spent, especially when you consider the waste of expense on an inappropriate system as well as the expense and possible loss of your car and its contents.