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
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.