Car security features

mg3091 · 25 Mar 2015 at 12:22

Does anyone on here have any suggestions on improved security features for a car to lower insurance premiums? Apart from the obvious garage (not available)
Was thinking about a removable steering wheel (no-ones gonna nick ya car if they can't steer it away huh?) apart from a tow truck of course but doubt it would happen.

Steve2000 · 25 Mar 2015 at 12:26

I doubt anything apart from a GPS tracker would affect your insurance premiums to be honest.

George Hincapie · 25 Mar 2015 at 12:34

Steve2000 said:
I doubt anything apart from a GPS tracker would affect your insurance premiums to be honest.

Does the discount vary from insurer to insurer? How much do the trackers tend to cost?

ADT · 25 Mar 2015 at 12:36

If thieves want your car, what ever you do won't stop them. Even trackers aren't all that these days

George Hincapie · 25 Mar 2015 at 12:38

ADT said:
If thieves want your car, what ever you do won't stop them. Even trackers aren't all that these days

No, but it might assist with recovery.

theone8181 · 25 Mar 2015 at 13:09

Ive got flashbacks to the episode of mr bean where he removes his wheel and has a picnic lol

Six6siX · 25 Mar 2015 at 13:18

I'd guess that a detachable steering wheel will be classed as a mod and actually increase your premium

tom_e · 25 Mar 2015 at 13:24

George Hincapie said:
No, but it might assist with recovery.

A lot of the time it's better just to let them have it and get a new vehicle through insurance.

skyripper · 25 Mar 2015 at 13:35

Also garage doesnt necessarily lower your premium.
Driveway parking seems to result in lower premium than that.

tom_e · 25 Mar 2015 at 13:40

skyripper said:
Also garage doesnt necessarily lower your premium.
Driveway parking seems to result in lower premium than that.

My bike insurance is exactly the same whether it's garaged or on the drive which surprised me considering it's not difficult to chuck a bike in the back of a van.

craig_t · 25 Mar 2015 at 13:57

My insurance is cheaper than driveway and garage on the street. Because they see it as a light area and more public, less chance to hide.

A garage is the worst place, all a theif needs to do is get into the garage, then they can close it down behind them and they have as much time as they want to get the car, without being spotted. On an old up and over garage door this is very easy as you can just pull the bottom of the door, climb under and bend it back down once you're in.

As said, a tracker may do the trick. A really good alarm might too (again makes no difference really to a thief) but you need to weigh up the costs of how much the tracker/alarm is over what it saves you on your premium.

ADT · 25 Mar 2015 at 14:26

George Hincapie said:
No, but it might assist with recovery.

True, but I wouldn't want a car back if it was stolen. That's just me, I guess some won't mind.

Iamzod · 25 Mar 2015 at 20:50

craig_t said:
A garage is the worst place, all a theif needs to do is get into the garage, then they can close it down behind them and they have as much time as they want to get the car, without being spotted.

Yet with classic insurance it is reversed massively, my Capri is uninsurable if parked on the driveway yet I can get it for £150 per year when garaged.

Mucky_Pup · 25 Mar 2015 at 21:58

What car is it?

balls · 25 Mar 2015 at 22:42

Iamzod said:
Yet with classic insurance it is reversed massively, my Capri is uninsurable if parked on the driveway yet I can get it for £150 per year when garaged.

my 200sx (yes apparently now a classic) is almost double if it is declared as being in my garage vs the driveway....

Iamzod · 25 Mar 2015 at 22:44

balls said:
my 200sx (yes apparently now a classic) is almost double if it is declared as being in my garage vs the driveway....

Maybe this is due to the fact that a Capri can be nicked in 30 seconds with nothing more than a metal ruler.

skaif · 26 Mar 2015 at 11:48

skyripper said:
Also garage doesnt necessarily lower your premium.
Driveway parking seems to result in lower premium than that.

tom_e said:
My bike insurance is exactly the same whether it's garaged or on the drive which surprised me considering it's not difficult to chuck a bike in the back of a van.

craig_t said:
My insurance is cheaper than driveway and garage on the street. Because they see it as a light area and more public, less chance to hide.

A garage is the worst place, all a theif needs to do is get into the garage, then they can close it down behind them and they have as much time as they want to get the car, without being spotted. On an old up and over garage door this is very easy as you can just pull the bottom of the door, climb under and bend it back down once you're in.

As said, a tracker may do the trick. A really good alarm might too (again makes no difference really to a thief) but you need to weigh up the costs of how much the tracker/alarm is over what it saves you on your premium.

Iamzod said:
Yet with classic insurance it is reversed massively, my Capri is uninsurable if parked on the driveway yet I can get it for £150 per year when garaged.

How have I never thought of this? I simply assumed that Garage = Cheap policy.
Upon reading all your posts I did a quick confused.com quote search on the affect a garage has and my premium went down by £300 by leaving it on the street!? WTF! I need to update my policy I suppose!
That is mental. Also thinking of getting rid of my mum on my policy as that increased it whereas the wife decreases it...

tom_e · 26 Mar 2015 at 11:51

skaif said:
How have I never thought of this? I simply assumed that Garage = Cheap policy.
Upon reading all your posts I did a quick confused.com quote search on the affect a garage has and my premium went down by £300 by leaving it on the street!? WTF! I need to update my policy I suppose!
That is mental. Also thinking of getting rid of my mum on my policy as that increased it whereas the wife decreases it...

I assumed exactly the same when I was doing quotes on my bike, I had to treble check I hadn't messed something up when my quote was the same garaged or otherwise.

It worked out well because as I found out with some digging our garage/shed doesn't meet the criteria to be classed as a garage

Dr House · 26 Mar 2015 at 11:52

mg3091 said:
apart from a tow truck of course but doubt it would happen.

This is how my friends TT was stolen in prague many years ago. It's quite common out there.

Haggisman · 26 Mar 2015 at 13:46

skaif said:
How have I never thought of this? I simply assumed that Garage = Cheap policy.
Upon reading all your posts I did a quick confused.com quote search on the affect a garage has and my premium went down by £300 by leaving it on the street!? WTF! I need to update my policy I suppose!
That is mental. Also thinking of getting rid of my mum on my policy as that increased it whereas the wife decreases it...

Yeah, there's some stupid reasoning behind it:

Car in garage = out of sight = easier for a thief to steal undisturbed = increased premium

Car in garage driven out in a hurry = damage to garage = higher payout for insurance = increased premium

Car on drive = may be out of sight = easier for a thief to steal undisturbed = increased premium

Car on drive = obvious which house to break into for the keys = increased premium

Car on street = more likely to be driven into/damaged = claim = increased premium

Car in garage = less likely to be stolen in the first place because the thief doesn't even know it's there = decreased premium (no, wait, of course it doesn't :rolleyes:

)

To be honest, I wouldn't bother with any mods, as chances are if you try and increase the security of your car, the insurance co will see it that you think your car is at increased risk of being stolen and so increase your premium!