Wednesday 29 May 2013

Is A Steering Wheel Lock Worth it?

By Lowden Clarke


The common-or-garden steering wheel lock; the splendidly clumsy, spectacularly unsightly contrapment that very nearly smashes through the vehicle window with its presence as you walk along side it in the street, alluding to it's overprotective driver.

You know, the 60-something year-old husband that pulls back the curtains find out precisely what the neighbours are doing with the recycling buckets; It's not an exceptionally thrilling subject, the steering wheel lock, but still one which warrants a key discussion.

But why? Well because people want to protect their cars. Did you know that in the USA, nearly $9 Billion's worth of vehicles were stolen last year?! To put that into perspective, if car theft was a business, it would be on a par with MacDonald's in terms of revenue!

Across the pond, in the UK, nearly 60 vehicles are broken into and driven away every minute! So by the time you finish reading this article, nearly 200 cars will have parted ways with their owners.

The value of your car doesn't make a difference, so don't think if you own a BMW your vehicle is safe. In fact, thieves can get 3 x more cash from taking your car apart and selling the parts.

Consequently we have to do our very best prevent our vehicle becoming such an appealing opportunity for thieves.

Now it's the time to take the steering wheel lock out of the armoury and start making use of it. Now it's the time to take the steering wheel lock seriously.

Are they A Deterrent?

You've probably often been told that if a car thief wants to steal your vehicle, they'll find a way round any anti theft car device you have.

That being said that may not be the point here. It's a risk Vs reward thing. When I browse the streets seeking my next vehicle window to break, I am thinking about the likelihood of me getting busted against the incentive of driving away with your automobile.

Should your car receive the attention of a car thief, they're far more likely to think twice about stealing your car over someone else's if you have a steering wheel lock on it. They'll simply follow the path of least resistance!

A Financially Prudent Investment.

When I was a kid I hated Math. Hey, I was a kid. But now i'm older I have a new respect for those who dedicate their lives to making numerical discoveries.

Let us work with the maths on whether or not you should invest in a steering wheel lock. The average cost of a brand new automobile as I type is $30,300 and the typical price tag of a (strong) steering lock is $60. Another person smarter than me can tell you that to vastly increase the chance of your wheels staying in your drive, you can use a tool that costs approximately 0.19% of the cost.

To add to the allure of a good steering wheel lock, many insurance companies will actually offer discounts for those using anti theft car devices such as these.

So to answer your question, yes, I regularly use a steering wheel lock.




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