Safe Speed Forums

I've seen these on eBay and now there's a UK distributor with a crap website http://freespace.virgin.net/autotaser.uk/index.htm selling them for a much higher price.

They claim it's perfectly legal since it's locked in the car and you stick a warning sticker on your window. They say it counts as an electric fence, but someone else tells me it counts as a firearm and therefore illegal.

Basically it's a steering wheel lock with vibration sensors and a remote keyfob to activate them. If it detects vibration of tampering it sounds a 120db siren, then after 5 seconds becomes electrified.

So is such a think legal, or will I end up in court for assaulting the poor helpless victim who tried to steal my car?

I suppose it's less damaging than my other idea which is to mount the immobiliser behind the passenger airbag and rig the tamper sensors to the airbag deployment mechanism.

If it seriously harms them then it's definitely illegal. If it doesn't, I'm not sure, it might be ok.

Tasers apparently don't cause any harm as such. They just stun/hurt for a bit.

Care to put it to the test?

The sound of the alarm alone could kill a thief with a weak heart.

If I were you, I would leave the doors unlocked, and the keys in the ignition, in case the thief has angina or is easily stressed.
Just to be sure, fill the tank with fuel, otherwise the filling station might be targeted too as a result of your neglecting to keep the tank topped up!

_________________
Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

The police seem happy enough to use them. If they're American then they seem happy to use them multiple times on an unconscious suspect too!

I refer here to the hand held kind that actually fires something. This thing would require the criminal to continue to try and tamper with the thing even after the alarm has gone off. It also has the word Taser on it in huge letters and visible electical arcing once it's active.

Note: This is intended to be a serious thread. I am actually considering the purchase of one of these as my car lasted 3 days upon getting repaired from the last theft before someone tried to nick it again. It's completely shafted my insurance history.

I rememebr years ago when those first came out one of the max power type mags did a review on a load of different wheel locks. The taser type one apparently looked really impressive with arcing along its length etc but when tested by a "crook" he had it smashed off in seconds before it even had a chance to arm. I think it was the easiest of the wheel lock types to smash off in that particular trial.

None of the wheel type locks were really any match and if i remember correctly only the disclock type one that covers the whole wheel was covered stayed for any length of time - it was noted that it was his first time trying to deal with that type of lock and now he had it cracked he could do the next one in the same time as the others.

The only lock they could recommend was the type that locks the pedals in the up position but remarked that it was difficult to fit without getting dirty when you park up and try to fit it The deterrent value was also reduced since it was mounted in the footwell.

That autotaser site has been the same for 4+ years now, I'm not sure if it is actually sold in the UK now.

Either way, I think they were deemed legal because it is not designed or intended for use as a weapon, and as constructed it cannot be easily modified for such use.

Gareth

So in summary. They're legal but not worth the money?

Right?

I believe that a pair or Marigolds would render them useless as an anti-theft device

However, if you were wearing the gloves, and were waving said device at, say, a car-jacker - maybe they would have a use

mb

a bit risky if it mis-fired whilst you were driving

_________________
Speed limit sign radio interview. TV Snap Unhappy
“It has never been the rule in this country – I hope it never will be - that suspected criminal offences must automatically be the subject of prosecution” He added that there should be a prosecution: “wherever it appears that the offence or the circumstances of its commission is or are of such a character that a prosecution in respect thereof is required in the public interest”
This approach has been endorsed by Attorney General ever since 1951. CPS Code

I would suggest a drivers seat taser.....id put a bet on mr car thief getting out ever so quickly when that went off....could create a few handling difficulties if it went off when you were driving though...

_________________
"Safety" Scamera Partnerships;
Profitting from death and misery since 1993.

Believe nothing- Question everything.

I've got one - you really wouldn't want to be near it when it goes off. What you have to remember is that no-one has one of these so the thief will not be expecting it to go off so won't have the "marigolds" with them to avoid it.
it saved my V8 Capri at least once. Best idea I ever saw though - give something back to the *astards!!

Yes. For a start you would have to smash the windscreen before making right turns...

...or detach it from your steering wheel.

Wouldn't it be easier to rely on insurance and perhaps a hidden cctv camera?

If someone unconscious swallows their tongue they die...

Two thefts in such a short period of time means I am no-longer allowed to protect my no-claims bonus.

Losing my no-claims bonus means I will lose the car.

Plus the two excess payouts, plus stuff they don't cover (hire cars) has cripples me. I honestly can't afford another.

Just install a fuel cutoff switch in your car, nobody will be nicking it then.

Bearing in minds the lengths they went to last time...

firstly, there were 3 of them in balaclavas. They crawled under my car, wired the bonnet release sensor to something else, then popped the bonnet, and simultaneously disabled both the main power supply to the alarm siren and the internal backup battery simultaneously, then got in without breaking the lock or windows, got the igntion up an drunning despite the immobiliser, then snapped the back seat in half in their attempts to get at the wiring and were well on their way to getting the fuel pump up and running again.

The only reason they didn't get the car is because my GF was arriving home late (1:30am) and disturbed them, and for her troubles they attempted to kill her (both with weapons and another car) and trashed the car she was driving)

I had only had the thing back 3 days after the last theft!

So I doubt some poxy little switch from Maplins is going to help, sorry.

I think if I were you Lum at this stage I'd be considering moving to another area and/or rigging the car with explosives.

It'd be worth doing some time to remove the theiving scum from the face of the planet.

Problem is Aylesbury is stupid expensive. If we moved to another part of it, it'd be an extra £400/month rent at least. If we moved outside of aylesbury it gets even more expensive and my GF would have to commute further.

Without sounding too cheeky what security is a poxy steering wheel lock gonna do?

If i was gonna choose between 2 identical cars one with a properly fitted alarm immobiliser or one with a metal bar attached i know what one i'd choose. If they go to all that hassle before they'll have a good laugh at your auto taser too as they get round that.

At the end of the day even if they cant touch it to remove it they can simply whip off the wheel and stick on another.

I think you need to look at alternative and drastic measures here.

Time to swap it for a y plate metro.