When you purchase a new vehicle, you probably want to know about anti theft device types for your new ride. If you're wondering what is the best anti-theft device for cars, we understand; you have every right to worry, considering that motor vehicle theft is the third most common type of property crime in the US.

There are many anti theft device types on the market, but you want to know what is the best anti-theft device for cars. In this blog, we're taking a detailed look at anti theft device types and the pros and cons of them all.

 

The RAVELCO anti-theft device has been trusted by car owners & authorities since 1976, with not one vehicle ever stolen in over 6 million installs to date. Contact our experts for a free quote today!

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Anti Theft Device Types

Audible Alarms

One of the classic anti theft device types, audible alarms are on almost every vehicle. However, quantity does not always mean quality... this is especially the case for audible car alarms. Think about the car alarms you've heard in your life. For most of us, car alarms are negligible. At home, we don't peek out of the house until someone's alarm is decidedly annoying. On the street, most of us probably don't turn our heads to a car alarm.

 

The facts are, audible car alarms are so prevalent that most of us just ignore them. Back in '97, people were already so used to car alarms it was concluded by a Highway Loss Data Institute analysis that car alarms "show no overall reduction in theft losses." Put simply, audible alarms are just noise.

 

Vehicle Recovery Systems

Vehicle recovery systems are labeled as anti-theft devices, but are they really? These systems or devices are designed to aid in the recovery of your vehicle once it has been stolen.

 

We think that if you're going to spend money to protect your vehicle, that product or service should help your vehicle not to get stolen... not just help once your vehicle already has been stolen. While these systems may be very helpful in stolen vehicle recovery, we (and probably you, too!) prefer to avoid that situation altogether.

 

Kill Switches

Traditional vehicle kill switches can be cheap to install but come with their own set of headaches. These anti theft device types have many different options. There are battery disconnect switches, which prevent the vehicle from getting battery power while it is activated. There are ignition wire kill switches, which disrupt the flow of ignition while activated. Additionally, there are many other types of kill switches that disrupt one system or another. However, they all share a similar set of problems.

First, kill switches that affect the battery will encounter issues like re-setting your radio and clocks each time you want to protect your vehicle. These systems also face problems in that they are literally a switch — a button contained somewhere in your vehicle that turns this system on or off. These must be hidden from a potential thief so they cannot simply disable it with the flick of a switch. However, this often means the switch itself is placed somewhere inconvenient for its everyday use to protect your vehicle.

 

Steering Wheel Locks

Steering wheel locks are physical devices that you lock into your steering wheel that make it impossible to steer the vehicle. These have the appeal of deterring a criminal who may bypass your keyless car lock with a relay attack. However, while these are visual and physical deterrents, they're not unbeatable. Thieves can still pick locks, but these could add valuable time to how long it takes your vehicle to be stolen.

 

The biggest drawback of steering wheel locks, however, is simply the act of using them. Think about a busy day running errands — how likely are you to lock and unlock a steering wheel lock into place each time you enter/leave your vehicle? As effective as they can be, steering wheel locks don't do anything if you get tired of using them.

 

The Ravelco Anti-Theft Device

For those still wondering what is the best anti-theft device for cars, this is the winner. The RAVELCO device works similarly to a kill switch. However, Ravelco installations are unique. The circuits interrupted by the RAVELCO may vary from application to application. Typically, they would include the electronic fuel or injector pump, the ignition circuit, the starter circuit, or even the computer.

 

But unlike a kill switch, you won't have to flick a switch in some hard-to-reach, inconvenient spot. The RAVELCO is installed in an easily accessible place under or flush mounted in the dashboard. A removable 16-pin male plug is the 'switch' that gets removed/replaced to make the electronic connections to start the vehicle. This plug is conveniently attachable to a keychain, and each installation comes with a spare.

 

Not only are Ravelco installations unique with regard to which vehicle circuits they interrupt, but the plugs themselves are unique, too. With over 100,000 plug variables, no two RAVELCO plugs are alike — there are no master plugs. Of all the anti theft device types, the RAVELCO takes the cake with not one vehicle ever stolen.

 

What Is the Best Anti-Theft Device for Cars?

Without a doubt, the RAVELCO anti-theft device is the best anti-theft device on the market. Ravelco has been building a reputation since 1976 for being the best and only anti theft device that really works. With over 6 million installations and not one vehicle ever stolen, the stats speak for themselves.

If you're interested in ensuring your vehicle isn't one of the cars or trucks stolen every 18 seconds in the US, contact us for a free quote on your Ravelco installation.