Choosing a Car Alarm System

Car security system

Perhaps the best reason to buy and install a car alarm system is to protect not only your car and stereo, but also yourself and your family. Apart from this, insurance companies usually charge lower premiums for the coverage against theft of cars equipped with an alarm system.
Choosing a car alarm system, however, is not easy. There are hundreds of brands manufactured all over the world to choose from. Of course, within the same brand, there are also several models. The features of basic models are limited to a siren when the doors, trunk, or hood of the car are opened. More advanced models, however, include features such as an in-car camera that takes a picture of a thief attempting to break into the car and transmits it to a remote pager with a color LCD screen.
First, you have to decide what you really want or need in a car alarm system. You not only want the alarm to keep your car safe, you also want it to be manageable and easily maintained. You want it to make things easier for you, providing you with a convenient way of arming or disarming it.
The system should be able to inform you of its status, that is, whether it is armed or not. Some systems use distinctive sounds such as a siren chirp to alert the owner that it was activated. Another kind of sound is emitted upon deactivation.
You also want a flashing LED light mounted on the dash or center console where it is visible outside the vehicle. This is a good deterrent to would-be car thieves as the light tells them that the car is ready to scream and shout if violated.
If you drive a convertible and are not fond of putting the top back on every time you leave the car, you want a motion sensor. Or if you like to leave your stuff in the back of your truck leaving you ample room inside the cab, you also have a good reason to opt for a motion sensor. Every time somebody walks into your open spaces, the siren starts to wail.
Glass-break sensors are also useful especially now that car thieves got the idea that crawling into your car through its broken window, thus leaving the door locked, will not trigger the alarm.
You may also want an alarm system that allows you to upgrade your system through the installation of additional features. A remote starter, remote activation of air conditioning, or windows control could be incorporated into the system, thus making your driving more comfortable.