Review of Basic Alarm Systems

Car theft is a major problem in the United States. Some experts report that a car is stolen every 20 seconds, while others say it's one every 25 seconds. No matter which figure is correct, it still adds up to a lot of missing cars and a lot of unhappy owners.

It's no wonder, then, that the automotive industry began to manufacture a wide variety of alarm systems. For at least 25 years, car alarms have been extremely popular, and have only become more fancy as time goes on.

Because not every auto break-in is exactly the same, alarm companies have devised various ways to detect a thief. The following is a quick rundown of the types of alarm system you might find:

• Door sensor - this one is simple. If the door (and sometimes trunk or hood) is opened, the alarm will sound if not deactivated beforehand.

• Shock sensor - this type of alarm sounds a siren if the body of the car is moved or jiggled.

• Window sensor - sounds an alarm if a window is broken.

• Pressure sensor - activated when the air pressure inside the car is changed. For instance, if a window is broken or a door opened, that would be sufficient to trip the alarm.

• Tilt sensor - this alarm deters thieves who don't even try to break in to your car, but instead attempt to load it up onto a tow truck and cart it away whole. When the car is tilted to a certain degree, the alarm will sound.

Most alarms today don't rely solely on one of the above types of sensors; state-of-the-art packages usually combine several (or all) types together to make your car safer from theft.

Are Car Alarms Effective?

You've probably heard a lot of car alarms go off in your neighborhood. Because the technology isn't perfect, sometimes the alarm system is too sensitive, or not "smart" enough to determine what is really a theft attempt and what is a strong wind, a thunderstorm, a wandering cat, or a kid on a bike riding unsteadily by.

Alarm system critics say that the products have become ineffective because no one really pays attention to alarms anymore. When they're going off all the time for the slightest thing, they aren't really the deterrent they started out to be. Another problem with car alarms is that thieves are continually coming up with new ways to work around an alarm system, almost faster than alarm manufacturers can make systems with new features.

Today, more and more car makers are bypassing the installation of a car alarm system and moving on to the better and more stable technology of car immobilizers and vehicle tracking systems. Much more than just a loud siren, these products are becoming the new must-haves in automotive theft deterrent.

Vehicle Immobilizers

Relying on computer chips in your car key, or even a hidden switch or button in your car, these immobilizers will prevent the car from being hot-wired or started in any other manual way. While no system is completely theft-free, at this point a vehicle immobilizer will deter more thieves than more traditional alarm systems.

Vehicle Tracking Systems

Not considered an alarm, a tracking system is installed in your car after you purchase it. Usually you won't even know where the tracking device is located in the car. If your car is stolen or lost, the system manufacturer can track its whereabouts by satellite and find it quickly, usually within hours. So far, this is a highly-effective way to get your car back in the event of a theft. Some manufacturers claim a recovery rate of 90%.

Research Alarms Online

When you decide to purchase a car alarm, consider doing some research beforehand online. You'll find plenty of Web sites dedicated to comparisons and pricing of all the major systems available today. Check out the following:

• Car Alarms information page from BizRate

• Compare Car Alarms from ReviewCentre

• How to Choose Car Security by Crutchfield Advisors

• Products & Services from LoJack, a vehicle tracking system manufacturer

• Car Security System reviews from CNet

• Comparison Shopping from Splise