NCJ Number
147837
Date Published
1994
Length
19 pages
Annotation
Installing security devices has become an important way of preventing motor vehicle theft; car manufacturers in several countries have focused primarily on improving perimeter security to prevent vehicle break-ins and on installing devices to prevent parked vehicles from being unlawfully driven away.
Abstract
The steering column lock, an important example of the security device approach in Germany, resulted from regulations requiring vehicles to be fitted with antitheft devices. Germany's regulations were introduced in 1961, followed nearly 10 years later by similar regulations in the United States and Great Britain. An analysis of the effect of these regulations on motor vehicle crime indicates that steering column locks reduce vehicle theft, particularly theft for temporary use. The speed with which the motor vehicle population has been protected by steering column locks and the availability of other vehicle types not protected by such antitheft devices are important issues in explaining motor vehicle theft patterns. 12 references, 1 table, and 7 figures