STOP CAR THEFT!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Car steering wheel locks are one of the more basic forms of physical immobilisers, and are available from almost any car accessory store. Prices range from just a few dollars to over 100 dollars for the most expensive systems, and quality and effectiveness varies just as much, but generally you get what you pay for.

 

The basic systems (pictured above)  brace themselves against the inner parts of the wheel, stopping the car steering wheel from being turned, making it tricky for the would be thief to drive the car. Unfortunately the most basic and cheapest systems are not particularly strong, with fairly flimsy locks that can easily be broken, with some locks being force-able with just your bare hands of the thief is strong enough, or with a crowbar if required.

 

The next level up sees devices that clamp around a small part of the wheel, these are slightly trickier for a thief to remove, but what most drivers don’t realise is that car steering wheels are actually quite soft, and generally made of plastic to keep weight down, make the easy to manufacture, and cushion impact with your head or body in a crash. Unfortunately this hollow plastic design makes them relatively easy to cut through, meaning that this sort of clamping device, or the more basic braces can simply be slipped off.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The best protecting and most expensive steering locks shield a good part or all of the steering wheel, like the disklok system above. They are not cheap to buy, but are made of the sturdiest materials, usually all thick solid metal, and also make it tricky for the thief to break the cars own standard steering lock which is can be forced by inserting a long bar or piece of scaffold through the wheel and violently levering it.

 

These full cover steering locks do not guarantee safety for your car, but car make any potential criminal think twice due to the extra effort required, and when presented with several cars in a car park, they are more likely to choose a car without this sort of protection to target. They are expensive at up to $100 dollars a time, but are one of the best visible deterrents short of leaving a gator in the car, so we do recommend them, and the author uses one on his own car whenever parked.

 

Finally, many thanks go to Orangewheels.co.uk who supply Vauxhall Cars in the UK for their free help in compiling this website.