Here's how to beef up the security on your vehicle
With criminals using technology to steal cars, owners are modifying their vehicles to help prevent theft with tracking devices and immobilizers, which can stop a thief in their tracks.
It’s the loud and blaring sound, no car thief wants to hear.
"And once he gets in the vehicle, the vehicle does not start…a lot of noise, it won’t move, it won’t start," says Aidan Derouchie of Derand Motorsports.
The Ottawa business installs devices wired directly into your car, which Derand says not only immobilize the car, but also alerts the owner of an attempted theft on devices such as a smart watch.
"It notifies me immediately," customer Shamim Arefin tells CTV News Ottawa.
Arefin had the technology installed in his Lexus. It’s an SUV he loves, but so do the criminals.
"I was afraid and at some point I became paranoid, like what should I do with my car?" he says.
With reports of cars stolen from his neighbourhood on an east Ottawa Facebook group, he had an immobilizer, alarm, and GPS tracker installed in his car,
"Now I’m feeling so much more confident that if I go to a mall or anywhere my car will be secure."
It is equipment that Derouchie says is more secure than what comes standard with the car.
"Previous to May, we were doing one to two a month. Now, just a couple weeks ago, we actually did 10 in one week, and were continually going up from there," he says.
"All of the products that are on the market basically help prevent it from getting stolen."
Derouchie says systems start at $699, but can go as high as $2,600. While he says nothing is 100 per cent thief-proof, it’s all about creating layers of security.
"We call it a layered approach; the more that you can do to make it more difficult and have the criminals need to spend more time,” says Bryan Gast, Equite Association, vice-president investigative services.
“2022 was a bad year for vehicle theft in Canada, in Ontario in particular. In 2023, so far, is proving to be just as problematic - if not worse," Gast says.
Arefin says his investment in the technology makes him "feel so much more relaxed now and confident."
Derouchie says Derand Motorsports offer theft deterrents designed to help stop thieves from targeting vehicles, which include:
- Glass breakage sensors
- Door opening alarms
- Engine Bypass and engine disable devices
- OBD lock ports
- Immobilizer devices
- Steering wheel locks
- GPS tracking systems
- Tilt sensors
- Jeep Wrangler hood locks
- Key fob battery deactivators
- Catalytic converter locks
- 2-way communication to your smartphone and your remotes
- Factory horn/siren relocation
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.