Are Car Alarms a Waste of Time?

A car alarm sounds.

What do you do - Instantly panic? Grab your keys and rush outside expecting to see a balaclava-clad car thief making away with your Ford Focus? 

Or do you, like most people, wait a moment before looking out the window to find out which of your colleagues needs to go and investigate that slightly stronger gust of wind that suddenly caused the alarm, before deactivating said alarm before returning back to the office, perhaps even slightly annoyed. 

Without sounding too controversial; most of the time car alarms aren't taken as seriously as they once were. In fact, research shows that around 95% of car alarms nowadays are in fact false alarms - triggered by something other than a criminal attempting to break in and steal your vehicle or your possessions. 

That's not to say that you should neglect the security of your vehicle altogether. There were around 106,000 car thefts in England & Wales during 2018 and there's nothing to say that any of us are exempt from that figure in years to come. So what are the alternatives to the old-fashioned car alarm? 

There is a solution - and it won't break the bank! A simple GPS tracking device like the CarLock GPS Tracker (simply connected to your vehicles OBD connector) will not only allow you to monitor the location of your vehicle but a range of other elements:

Carjacking Awareness:

- If your vehicle's engine has been started without you
- Any Unusual vibrations such as power tools or prying
- If the CarLock device has been disconnected from the vehicle
- If your vehicle is being moved (or towed away!)

Teenager / Second-Driver Insight:

- Drag Racing (Fast Acceleration) 
- Inattentive driving (Hard & Sudden Breaking)
- Stunt Driving (Sharp Turns and Cornering)
- Multiple vehicle monitoring

Vehicle Health:

- Low battery alerts
- Unusual battery drain alerts

Compared to the standard car alarm, it's clear to see the benefits of being able to monitor your vehicle from a smartphone (using iOS or Android app) with live updates, alerts and more. Not only are you able to track your car, but you will also be able to provide comprehensive evidence should an investigation ensue with history tracking of vehicles whereabouts.

So next time that car alarm goes off you can just sit there, even feeling a bit smug, in the knowledge that you'd know if it was yours. Your phone would let you know. 

Interested in enhancing your vehicle security? See more information on the CarLock GPS Tracker below.