Compulsory car security measures introduced

The Government has announced a crackdown on car thefts. Picture / Richard Robinson

The Government is making vehicle security measures - worth $400 per car - compulsory from mid 2006.

Justice Minister Phil Goff launched the Government's Vehicle Crime Reduction Programme today, saying the measures would reduce the $110 million yearly cost of vehicle thefts.

All imported cars, new or used, will have to have immobilisers and microscopic identification dots fitted -- a cost to be met by dealers.

Immobilisers prevent hotwiring by shutting the car down if the correct electronic signal contained in a key is not received.

Microdots of the vehicle's identification number would be spotted throughout the car on various parts, with any attempt to remove them leaving a smear still visible under ultraviolet light.

Both measures will apply to all new and used vehicles less than 15 years old imported when the regime comes into effect in about 18 months.

"Vehicle theft costs New Zealand about $110 million a year," Mr Goff said.

"It imposes on thousands of ordinary New Zealanders significant financial costs, involves major inconvenience, and adds to the cost of insurance premiums for every motorist."

Between 5 and 10 per cent of used vehicles being imported at present are fitted with immobilisers. In Western Australia, vehicle theft fell 34 per cent between 1999 and 2001 -- a period in which the number of vehicles with immobilisers increased to 70 per cent from 45 per cent. Vehicle theft fell 23 per cent in the United Kingdom from 1998 when immobilisers were made compulsory in new vehicles.

The microdots were likely to hit professional car thefts hard, Mr Goff said.

"Professional car crime usually involves taking a vehicle identification number from a deregistered car and putting it on a stolen vehicle of similar make, to give it a supposedly legitimate identity for re-sale."

Marking the whole of a vehicle by a means such as microdots was a proven deterrent in other countries, Mr Goff said. And in New Zealand, where Subaru began marking its cars last March, none had since been stolen.

Other initiatives of the strategy included:

* New Zealand joining Australia's Comprehensive Auto Theft Research System,

* changes to the deregistration system to make it harder for criminals to use deregistered vehicle information,

* an accredited secure parking scheme to recognise facilities with good lighting, manned barriers and high surveillance levels,

* a Vehicle Crime Reduction Action Group of government and industry representatives being created to monitor the initiatives and make recommendations.

- NZPA