Smart Water

[Poundy]

I had a visit from the local PCSO a couple of nights ago, who was checking on a nearby car theft.

Came inside and gave me an update on car security measures for our on the drive parked CT, of which to be fair I am pretty much up to speed on. 

The main points being the crook/disc lock being a worthwhile addition, Faraday pouch for the smart locking key fobs etc and the added deterrent of having my Catloc fitted. I said I had mixed feelings about the Faraday pouch, as I had to consider my preference to waking up in the morning after a sound nights sleep to find the car gone. Or waking up in the middle of the night to find someone breaking into the house to get the keys 😆. Even so he gifted me a Faraday pouch before leaving lol!

The real bonus though, he also gifted me a Smart Water kit and window stickers and registered the Ct on the Smart Water traceable vehicle site. Apparently the Chop Shops have made it clear that Smart water treated cars will not be accepted from car thieves, as any treated parts found on premises are now resulting in an over 85% prosecution success rate.

I already have put the smart water stickers on next to the Catloc stickers, and will start applying the smart water on various parts/places when the weather is a bit nicer. 😉

[LenT]

12 hours ago, Poundy said:

I already have put the smart water stickers on next to the Catloc stickers, and will start applying the smart water on various parts/places when the weather is a bit nicer. 

These microdot marking systems are very effective and impossible to remove without obviously damaging the surface on which they have been applied. I have them on clocks and expensive electronic equipment - and even if a car was being stolen for parts, the fact that just one microdot detected would identify the source vehicle is yet another worry for both thief and receiver.

A good additional deterrent for very little effort!

[Poundy]

I hate stickers on the car, alas it's a sign of the times in an effort to combat accelerating insurance prices.

[CT200NI]

Are Lexus giving this out free also?

[NemesisUK]

Smart water won't stop the car being stolen but it will help identify the parts after it is broken for spares...

[Poundy]

6 hours ago, NemesisUK said:

Smart water won't stop the car being stolen but it will help identify the parts after it is broken for spares...

It will stop them being stolen for spares, as the chop shops will no longer take them in. The police are now getting 87% conviction rate on chop shops found with Identifiable smart water registered stolen parts. It's like leaving DNA at a crime scene lol!

If a thief nicks one he's unable to unload it, even just displaying the stickers is often enough to curtail his interest and make him move on. Of course it doesn't prevent joy riders, but that is a minor consideration for most owners. I will be setting about marking mine tomorrow as the kit is already registered to the car. The stickers have been on for a while, next to the Catloc ones. Knowing what I know now, if the PCSO had not gifted me one I would have gone out and bought one myself @ under£60. I'm sure it will be an insurance premium positive, eventually.

[LexusDave]

On 3/21/2024 at 11:33 AM, CT200NI said:

Are Lexus giving this out free also?

Mine was done about 3 years ago, free of charge, when I had it serviced. 

[diabolik]

I guess we can all chill with the cat thefts. The numbers are down, 70-80% less in 2023 compared to 2021. If anyone was part of any CT/Prius/Jazz group, it was literally filled with thefts a couple years back. Now there's barely any post. 

I believe the main reasons are:

- prices of the rare metals going down

- water mark activity (perhaps, I have my doubts, I dont think even 10% of the people got a shield on)

( - thieves switching to stealing jags :p )

[Poundy]

10 hours ago, diabolik said:

I guess we can all chill with the cat thefts. The numbers are down, 70-80% less in 2023 compared to 2021. If anyone was part of any CT/Prius/Jazz group, it was literally filled with thefts a couple years back. Now there's barely any post. 

I believe the main reasons are:

- prices of the rare metals going down

- water mark activity (perhaps, I have my doubts, I dont think even 10% of the people got a shield on)

( - thieves switching to stealing jags 😛 )

It's not about the cat's being stolen now, the opportunist thief has found electric car charging cables a more profitable target.

The Smart water is probably the best deterrent in stopping attempted theft of keyless locking cars, that are taken to chop shops and sold as spare parts etc, these numbers are increasing year on year as spare part prices increase by large amounts. As said previously they will no longer take delivery of smart water marked/ registered cars. It's almost impossible to get Land Rover Insurance in London at present even with full NCB. The Ct200h might not be high on their shopping list but my Insurance premium is now suffering the consequence of Car Insurance company losses.

The safer we all make our cars regardless of make or model from being stolen, hopefully the less the impact on our premium will be.

[Poundy]

Anyway, mine is done now dabbed it here, there and just about everywhere, if they shine a lamp on the car now, it will  light up like a Christmas tree 😎 😄