Having a security system in a car does affect a person’s car insurance rates. The majority of car insurance providers offer an insurance discount for cars that have a security system.
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Car security systems have a history almost as long as the automobile itself. Over the last few years, the security alarms available in cars have progressed beyond what most people thought possible just a few decades ago. To compare car insurance companies that offer car security discounts, go to the website for A.M. Best Company.
What are the most common kinds of car security systems?
According to the Auto Tips & Advice website, there are five basic types of car security systems. These five systems are passive car alarms, active car alarms, silent car alarms, factory car alarms, and after-market car alarms.
A passive car alarm is the type of car alarm with which most people are probably the most familiar. This is the type of alarm that comes standard on most new cars. The reason this type of car alarm is called a passive alarm is because the driver does not have to activate it.
This type of system is armed automatically when the driver locks the car. This is the type of car alarm that involves the automatic locks button on a key fob. So when the driver hits the lock button on their key fob, their car’s alarm is automatically turned on.
An active car alarm works much in the same way as the passive car alarm except the driver has to physically arm the alarm themselves. Often with this type of car alarm there is a separate button on the driver’s key fob that they have to press to arm the car’s alarm system. So, to clarify, with a passive car alarm the driver only has to press the lock button on their key fob to arm the car’s alarm, while a driver with an active car alarm has to press a separate button and, unless they do, they can lock the car, but the alarm will not be turned on.
The passive and active car alarms are most recognizable because of the sound they make when they are triggered. The car alarm sound is a very recognizable and extremely annoying. Since car alarms that make sounds can be so disrupting and can often be triggered by innocuous situations that have nothing to do with theft, car manufacturers started producing silent car alarms.
The way a silent car alarm works is the alarm sends a signal to a device that the car owner keeps, most likely in their home. With some silent alarms, when the device is triggered it will actually call the driver on their phone. The main downside to this type of car alarm is that often with a non-silent car alarm, the noise will scare the car thief away before they actually steal something. At the very least, a non-silent alarm will alert other people in the vicinity that there is something going on.
What is the difference between a factory car alarm and an after-market car alarm?
A factory alarm is the car alarm that is installed inside the car while it is being manufactured. This type of alarm is most often a passive car alarm. While these car alarms tend to come as standard features on most new cars made today, some people prefer to have them removed. The people that have factory alarms removed tend to like to replace them with a more customized form of car alarm.
An after-market car alarm is a name for any car alarm that is purchased separately from the car itself and installed after the car is manufactured. So any custom alarm system that is not installed by the car’s manufacturer is considered to be an after-market car alarm.
What is the future of car alarms?
Over the past decade or so there have been amazing advancements made in the world of car security. One of the most recognizable is the OnStar system. OnStar combines advancements in both car security and communication technology.
Unlike a normal car alarm that performs just one function, an OnStar system does many things. OnStar works as a navigation system, a hands-free calling device, and a diagnostics system, as well as a top security feature. If a car with an OnStar system is stolen, all that the driver has to do is call OnStar and the company can track the car by its GPS.
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