Car security

[tyred]

Some <insert desired expletive> tried to steal my car last night, from a town centre car park at around 7 - 8pm. They clearly prised the top of the door out and reached in an unlocked and then made a dogs dinner of trying to hotwire it. Nothing was stolen oddly enough as there was an expensive socket set in the boot.

I've bent the door back into place and I'll fix the wiring loom properly at the weekend when I get a chance to see it in daylight so it's all superficial and nothing to worry about apart from inconvenience.

Older cars like mine (Peugeot 205) are always going to be a sitting duck for joyriders due to lack of anti-theft devices. I can't do much about Peugeot's tinfoil door frames but is there any advantages to using some of those visible anti-theft devices like steering wheel cover locks and is it worth paying for a high quality one or just get a cheapy and depend on the visible deterrent side?

Car security was something I never even thought about until last night as this is not a high crime area until very recently and my car is worthless but stolen cars do seem to be becoming more of a problem.

 

[Over The Hill]

As it is so recent and is rather shocking this is not the best time to suggest this-
It probably is a one-off incident and while all these steering locks may help, it probably is a real pain to put it on and take it off all the time. It would drive me mad doing that and I would feel the little *****s have won by making me take such action.

We had a car stolen off our drive many years ago but have never had a repeat problem since.

 

[byegad]

We routinely use an anti theft device on our cars. One car has one that goes through the steering wheel making movement other than through a very limited lock impossible and the other locks the car in neutral and the handbrake on. I know they can be removed by experienced thieves in a matter of a few seconds but work on the principle that they'd rather steal another car and save those seconds where they are vulnerable to detection as they get in and start the car.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

The only anti-theft steering wheel device that is of any use are the ones that completely cover the steering wheel and you need to have ensured that you have 'locked' the steering wheel after removing the keys. (We had similar issues with one of our old cars which was stolen but recovered accidentally when someone went home to find his house being 'gone over' and contents being loaded into our stolen car - he used his company car to block the driveway. He got the contents of his home back, we got our car back and some other stuff which the police tried to give us which wasn't ours...)

these things.. http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_216879_langId_-1_categoryId_165565

 

[Smurfy]

Newer cars are getting difficult to steal without the keys, hence the rise in car-jackings and burglaries to acquire keys. For an older car a decent steering wheel lock is the best bet. Make sure it covers all or a large part of the steering wheel.

Years ago one of my work colleagues had a little lotus, and she used to remove the steering wheel and take it into work with her (yes, it was designed for that, and very quick to remove).

 

[sazzaa]

People still use steering locks? Don't think I've seen one of them in about ten years!

 

[annedonnelly]

I used a stoplok but it won't fit on the steering wheel of my latest car. I'm happy to donate it to anyone who can use it - and is prepared to collect or pay for postage. I'm afraid the OP may be too far away...

 

[simon the viking]

I sell these type of things They are a deterrent but only just i think they have to withstand attack for about 5 mins to get a sold secure or thatcham rating. If I used to park anywhere dodgy before built in immobilisers I used to just take the coil lead and either put it in my pocket or hide it in in the spare wheel well... Thats when cars had leads (or leads you can get to)

 

[fossyant]

The only anti-theft steering wheel device that is of any use are the ones that completely cover the steering wheel and you need to have ensured that you have 'locked' the steering wheel after removing the keys. (We had similar issues with one of our old cars which was stolen but recovered accidentally when someone went home to find his house being 'gone over' and contents being loaded into our stolen car - he used his company car to block the driveway. He got the contents of his home back, we got our car back and some other stuff which the police tried to give us which wasn't ours...)

these things.. http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_216879_langId_-1_categoryId_165565

I've had one of those disc locks, and we still have it. Dont use it much now as our two current cars need the keys to rob them.

 

[buggi]

put a Rottweiler in your car

edit: not in the summer!

 

[Smurfy]

People still use steering locks? Don't think I've seen one of them in about ten years!

I still use mine, despite the fact that my key has an immobiliser chip embedded in it. It's just an extra layer of security that encourages thieves to walk on by.

 

[ufkacbln]

I still use mine, despite the fact that my key has an immobiliser chip embedded in it. It's just an extra layer of security that encourages thieves to walk on by.

I used to use one on the Trice!

Atached between the handlebars, it stopped people sitting on it

 

[tyred]

Looks like a stoplok then. It is only ever going to be a visible deterrent but hopefully enough to put of the casual thief. Whoever tried to take mine wasn't very good anyway as I was able to start it and drive home.

OTH is probably correct but it's best to take some sort of precaution.

What's more worrying is how easily the tops of the doors can be bent out to put your hand in to unlock it. Would definitely make you think twice about leaving anything of value inside. Peugeot clearly didn't have security in their design brief in the 1980s.