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Some of these gizmos however, are designed to make cars harder to steal.

Keyless entry and sophisticated burglar alarms are becoming increasingly commonplace within the modern vehicle fleet and the honk of alarms arming and disarming has become a regular sound in most supermarket parking areas.

Now the government has decided that far too many vehicles are being stolen and that we're all a bit too stupid to put in our own alarms or immobilisers -- therefore they must legislate to protect us from ourselves.

At first glance, this might seem like a great idea -- after all, if all newly imported cars were fitted with sophisticated immobiliser systems then surely the would be harder to nick.

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Well it's hard to argue with that claim -- or is it?

Don't virtually *all* cars have steering column locks?

Yes, yes they do.

Do they stop theft?

Hell no. Dedicated car thieves can disable a steering lock in less time than it takes you or I to use a key to do the same thing.

I strongly suspect therefore, that those who are responsible for a very fair percentage of vehicle thefts (the same ones to whom a steering lock is just a joke) will also know exactly how to "remobilise" any vehicle fitted with the budget $350 units the government wants to force on us.

Surely anything that is an add-on to a vehicle, rather than an integrated part of the engine management computer, can be compromised quite easily as part of the "hotwiring" process?

According to the AA, the cost of fitting these devices to imported cars would run to about $60-$110 million per year.

Hmm... how many coppers on the beat could we buy for that much money?

Even if we assume that the total cost of running a PC Plod comes to $150K per year, that's almost another 750 policemen actively policing our roads and car-parks.

I think what the government has forgotten here is that technology is a dual-edged sword that can be used by those on both sides of the law.

One only has to look at the ongoing battle between virus-writers and anti-virus companies, spammers and spam-blockers, pirates and music/movie companies, etc to realise that no amount of sticking-plaster technology is going to have a real impact on car theft.

If the government really wants us all to fit immobilisers or security systems to our cars then they ought to suggest to insurance companies that they offer a greater discount on premiums to the owners of cars fitted with such equipment. The fact that the size of this discount is currently so small kind of indicates to me that the insurance companies aren't convinced it makes a hell of a lot of difference to theft rates.

Do you have an immobiliser on your car? Would you spend $350-$500 to have one fitted? Do you think it's fair to require such devices by law? Do you really think they would be any more effective than a cheap alarm, Club, or steering lock?

Lighten Up
Many people are claiming that NZ has become much like the US from a political perspective and that our elections (there's one this year don't you know) have become "presidential style" events.

Well God help us and let's hope we never see the Kiwi equivalent of this type of thing on the Net.

Don't forget folks, when it comes to the lighten-up section, you only get as good as you give so send in those suggestions today.

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