The sounds of a city at night are usually very distinctive. There’s the low hum of passing cars, chattering late-night pedestrians, and the distant sound of a fire truck responding to a call. However, another sound that is commonly associated with city night-life is the unique chirping siren of a car alarm. Due to the popularity of car alarms, most new vehicles now have a standard security system that includes a “theft-activated” audible alarm. However, how effective are these alarms at preventing vehicle theft? Also, is there any scientific data to prove that an audible alarm will be enough to scare off a potential car thief? These questions have been subject to much debate, as experts in many fields each have their own opinions. Here are a few theories about the effectiveness of audible car alarms.
“Thieves Don’t Want to Get Caught”
The basic philosophy behind a loud audible alarm is to bring attention to a potential crime being committed. Since many criminals operate only when they believe that they are not at risk for being caught, this theory is largely based on psychology statistics. By providing a loud alarm that draws attention to a car that may be being stolen or burglarized, it’s theorized that a thief will be too scared to commit the crime.
“People are Immune to Car Alarms”
Due to many car alarms being “false” alarms, some people theorize that we tend to tune out car alarms, which reduces their effectiveness. For example, if you live in the city, do you immediately look out your window when you hear a car alarm? The majority of people no longer associate the sound of a car alarm with a criminal situation.
“Car Alarms Increase Crime”
This interesting theory has recently been presented by police officers in New York City. The theory is that since many people ignore car alarms, it propagates a view that “no one cares about crime”, which can embolden criminals to participate in illegal activities. The movement for banning car alarms in New York City received a lot of media attention in 2004, and resulted in an ordinance that banned car alarms that sounded for more than the 3 minute “legal limit”. However, the current ordinance is fairly weak, and allows for car alarms that sound for longer than three minutes, as long as they are purchased outside of New York City.
“False Alarms Damage Effectiveness”
For many years, car alarm manufacturing companies have struggled with making a car alarm that combines comfort with effectiveness. For example, it’s estimated that around 95 – 99% of car alarms that are triggered, are actually false alarms. However, these false alarms are often because the sensitivity setting of the system is too high. In some cases, a car alarm can be triggered when a large truck goes by, which causes enough vibration to sound the alarm. Either way, these false alarms contribute to the car alarm being less effective, as people become less likely to associate theft with the sound of a car alarm.
Conclusion
As of right now, it seems that the most effective method to use in protecting your car involves a combination of a car alarm with other alternative security measures. Due to the effectiveness of engine immobilizers at discouraging theft, they are now being installed as a standard feature on many new vehicles. Combined with steering wheel locks, key-lock glove compartments, anti-theft car stereo systems and other features, a car alarm may be used to help increase vehicle security.
However, as some of the arguments presented above mention, the effectiveness of an audible alarm for vehicles has recently come into question. If you plan to purchase a car alarm, be sure that its sensitivity settings are designed to help prevent false alarms. Never rely on an audible alarm as a stand-alone method to prevent the theft of your vehicle. Always take precautions, and remove any valuables from your car when it is parked to reduce temptation for criminals.
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