Bond Style Device Stops Car Thieves In Their Tracks
If you’ve always fancied yourself as a Jack Bauer or a James Bond, then this gadget is right up your street. Not only is it enviably hi-tech and a unique product on the market, but it will also bring your car insurance premiums down while protecting your car against thieves – even if they’ve managed to obtain your keys.
There have been ever increasing numbers of incidences of people reporting having their car keys stolen from inside their homes and subsequently, their car being taken at the same time. Fifty per cent of car thefts now involve the thieves obtaining the keys to the vehicle.
ATRD Ltd, based in Coventry, is waging war on the thieves, having manufactured a biometric immobilser which can be fitted to any car to give it extra protection.
Harj Banwait, director of manufacturing company Automotive Technology Research & Development (ATRD) Ltd says: “The biometric immobilser is activated by your fingerprint, so even if someone does acquire your keys, they are useless. The device consists of a small dashboard mounted touchpad that scans your fingerprint to enable it to start.
“When the owner – or an approved driver – gets into the vehicle, they place their finger to the touchpad and their print is scanned. As soon as it is recognised, they can start the car. If it isn’t, then it remains immobilised.
“The immobilser can be programmed to register up to 30 prints, so whether someone shares the car with their partner, or has a company vehicle with 15 different personnel permitted to drive it, it can be adapted,” he adds.
Harj says that the device is proving a big hit with both the security- and the image-conscious.
“I think the appeal is two-fold, you’ve got the security and reassurance factor of knowing that if the worst happens, your car is ultimately safe, and because the immobiliser is quite technical, it also appeals to the James Bond types who love gadgets.”
At just £350, including fitting, the device is a small price to pay for protecting your vehicle, and Harj says that over time it will pay for itself.
“The insurance premiums are lower because of having the extra security, so it actually starts to save you money in the long run,” he reports.
For more information or to purchase a biometric immobiliser, visit www.atrd.co.uk or call 0247 616 5044.