The Motor Insurance Repair Center (MIRC) sets all guidelines for car alarms in the UK. Set up in 1969 by British Car Insurers it rose in importance as Car crime rates soared in the 1980’s.
It is the Motor Insurance Repair Research Center’s job to test the effectiveness and improve car safety equipment, including alarms. The car alarms are tested using “attack tests” with various cars being broken into. The car is broken into from various different angles – through the boot, the bonnet, the side doors and the windows. The effectiveness of the steering lock is also tested as well as trying to start-up the car without using the ignition keys. After the tests the effectiveness of the equipment is graded and suggestions for improvements are also made.
How to understand the Thatcham Categories
After testing, products are categorized based on how effective they are. Full alarm systems are placed into Cat-1 and they include alarms that are an Immobilizer and electronic alarm combined. Other alarms fit into the 2-1 category. This basically means that Category 2 immobilisers are upgraded to Cat-1 alarms with the addition of a siren as well as movement detection and battery back up.
When alarms were fitted into cars, it made it more difficult for thieves to steal the car. In many cases, however, this just made the thieves even more determined. Instead of just breaking into the car, the thieves started to break into the home and steal the actual keys. Thieves now started to target the location of the car keys by breaking into owners homes. It was the high value, sportier cars that were particularly targeted. The stolen cars were often broken up. There is a thriving 2nd hand market at home and overseas for the parts. No category of alarm could deter some thieves from getting their hands on the car.
Finally car trackers were developed which allowed police to automatically know where the car was heading once it had been reported. The tracker is activated via a support center and the route in which it is heading is shown which makes it easy to recover the car before any damage has been done.
The Importance of Proper Installation
Purchasing an alarm or security system is only the beginning of protecting your car. Another thing that you have to ensure is that you have it correctly installed. Many insurance companies require that the alarm be fitted by a qualified installer and issued with an installation certificate. Without this certificate you won’t be eligible for the reduced rates on your insurance.
More recently Thatcham introduced a range of security ratings that showed how secure new car models were. As usual Thatcham run the cars through a rigorous range of tests to establish the security of the car but with results that are easy for the prospective car buyer to interpret. Thatcham have been at the forefront of driving up the levels of car security over the past two decades.