Bond Style Device Stops Car Thieves In Their Tracks
From the London UK Sunday Motoring Supplement September 2007
In ever increasing numbers, people have been reporting having their car keys stolen from inside their homes and their car being taken at the same time. Fifty per cent of car thefts now involve the thieves obtaining the keys to the vehicle.
Automotive Technology Research & Development (ATRD) Ltd, based in West Midlands, is waging a war on the thieves, having manufactured a biometric immobiliser which can be fitted to any car to give it extra protection.
ATRD says: “The biometric immobiliser is activated by your fingerprint, so even if someone does acquire your keys, they are useless. The device consists of a small dashboard mounted touch pad that scan your fingerprint to enable it to start.
“When the owner – or an approved driver – gets into the vehicle, they place their finger to the touch pad and their print is scanned. As soon as it is recognized, they can start the car. If it isn’t, then it remains immobilised.
“The immobiliser can be programmed to register multiple fingerprints, so whether someone shares the car with their partners, or has a company vehicle with 15 different personnel permitted to drive it, it can be adapted.” ATRD says that the device is proving a big hit with both the security- and the image conscious.
“We think the appeal is twofold: you’ve got the security and reassurance factor of knowing that if the worst happens, your car is ultimately safe, and because the immobiliser is quite technical, it also appeals to the James Bond types who love gadgets.”