Car insurance is highly dependent on security. Thus, cars with high levels of security attract lower insurance costs. Plus, people are looking for solutions that can lower their car insurance costs. And one of the most effective solutions is to beef up your security. Here, things like engine immobilizers as well as alarms play a critical role. On that note, here is how engine immobilizers, alarms, as well as car trackers can lower your auto insurance cost.
Engine Immobilizer
Defined as a device that helps cars to start/ignite with the help of the correct key/knob, car immobilizers are increasingly becoming very essential when it comes to car safety. With engine immobilizers, you have a feature that will protect your car against hotwiring caused by would-be thieves.
Cars with Immobilizers
All cars manufactured after 1998 have immobilizers. Thus, look at your car’s year of manufacture. If it was after 1998, it should have an engine immobilize. However, not all cars manufactured before 1998 have engine immobilizes. Thus, be sure to check if yours have this safety feature. Look at your car’s handbook—it will give you a rough idea regarding immobilizers in your car.
Thatcham Device
Car security plays an important role when it comes to the amount of car insurance you pay. Car safety is rated based on the installed safety features. One of the most renowned institutions that rate car safety is Thatcham. As an independent car security rating institution, Thatcham can rate your car into first, second, and third class, etc. Cars closer to first-class are considered safer and end up paying less towards car insurance.
Class 1
Considered to be the most complex security system in the car market, Class 1 alarms run using their own battery supply. Even more, they come with immobilizers that tends to self-activate. Class 1 must have both immobilizers and car alarms.
Class 2
On the other hand, Class 2 comes with engine immobilizer only. This means cars in this class don’t come with an alarm. Here, the car should have the ability to disable 2 of the 3 systems used when it comes to driving the car.
Class 2/1
It’s important to note that provided that you have an engine immobilizer, class 1 alarms can be added later. Of course, this won’t push you into the territory of Class 1. However, it shoves you close to it. It makes your car more secure.
Class 3
Class 3 features a steering based wheel lock that disables only when 1 of the 3 systems plays a role when driving the car. Whenever you need to secure a car, this feature must be installed.
Additional Classes
Other Classes include:
- Class 4 – Comes with wheel locks
- Class 5 – Comes with post-theft tracking
- Class 6 – This class is characterized by a tracker that cannot remotely immobilize your car
- Class 7 – This tracker allows police to recover a car in case it has been stolen
The Bottom-Line
The fact that car insurance protects you in case of an accident shouldn’t push you into overspending on it. With the right security features, you can significantly reduce car insurance costs. One of the best ways to lower the cost is investing in security. The above guide explains how things such as engine immobilizers, tracking systems, and car alarms can influence your auto insurance cost.
Last Updated on June 9, 2020
