Modern car alarms and security systems are the norm. However, in areas like Kenya, Tanzania or Zimbabwe where the majority of the traffic comprises older and used cars, these systems are either old or non-existent.
Why Should You Install a Car Alarm?
Your car is probably only second to your house when it comes to your most valuable tangible assets. You work hard for many years so that you can come up with the cash you need to buy it.
However, in the blink of an eye, you could just as easily lose it. You might park it on the street and hop in the nearby building, only to come out minutes later to an empty space.
Even in the confines of your home, it is not entirely safe. Robbers prowl the neighborhood in many suburbs, looking for valuables to steal. Your car is a very good target for them. It is not unheard of in many African countries to wake up to an empty shed or garage, with tracks leading out of the compound.
Top Quality Car Alarm Security Systems at BE FORWARD
Your car, therefore, needs an alarm that will let you know that someone is trying to tamper with it.
Before we can get into which alarms you should buy, let’s take a look at the types of alarms that can be installed into motor vehicles.
Types of Car Security Systems
You can classify a car security system in any number of ways. You can classify them depending on how they are set and triggered (active and passive). On the other hand, you can classify these security systems depending on who installed them (factory and customized).
Many also classify these alarms basing on the way they make you notice that something is afoot with your car (loud and silent).
Active and Passive Car Alarm Systems
An active alarm requires you to manually arm and disarm it via a button on the key fob. If you don’t, you run a huge risk of not knowing that someone is breaking into your car.
These kinds of alarms are quite common in Kenya, Tanzania and even further south in Zimbabwe. You have probably seen many car owners getting out of the car, pointing the key fob towards the car, making it beep.
The passive alarm differs from this in a way that it automatically arms itself when you turn off the engine and remove the key from the ignition. These can even go further ahead and lock the wheels if someone without the key breaks into the car.
Factory and Customized Alarms
In recent years, car manufacturers are installing alarm systems into the cars before they come off the line. These are known as factory car security systems. And you can further class these as either active or passive depending on their characteristics as described above.
These are mainly generic and are standard in a range of vehicles. If, however, you want to up the protection of your prized possession, you can opt for customized alarms.
Customized car alarms provide more security and there is a whole range of them from different manufacturers.
Loud and Silent Alarms
Just as the name says, some car alarms can be loud and other silent. The loud alarms are usually in the form of a siren that has a clearly audible wail. If someone tampers with your car, you can hear them – even from a considerable distant.
It also alerts people within the vicinity that a wrong element is trying to gain access to car that does not belong to them.
On the other end of the scale, silent alarms make no noise. When someone tries to get into your car, they send a signal to an electronic device. This can be your phone or a special device the manufacturer provides.
The downside of the silent alarm is that someone can make off with your vehicle without the people in the vicinity having known about it or being able to help.
Now that we’ve seen the types, let’s take a look at some examples of the best car alarm systems that you can install in your car.
Best Brands of Car Alarm Systems to Consider
At BE FORWARD’s auto parts shop, we aim to help you protect your vehicle as much as possible, offering the top brand in car alarms and security systems. Different security concerns call for different kinds of alarm systems to address the issues. Several manufacturers have come up with different car alarms that you can install into your motor vehicle.
Viper
Viper has been around for long time and knows the vehicle security field properly. The brand has some really innovative car alarm models.
One of the company’s offerings is the Viper 5806V 2-way Security System with Remote. This alarm system has top end features to protect your car. These include a two way security system that lets you know what’s happening to the car.
You interact with the system via a well-designed fob that has LED lights that provide various indicators. You can also remotely start the engine with this fob from as far away as a mile. It is also compatible with your smartphone, making it possible for you to locate your car from anywhere.
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Code Alarm
This brand focuses on giving you the basics. It centers most of its resources on ensuring that you get a really loud alarm. You also get keyless entry into your car just by using the buttons on the fob.
Its Avital system also ensures that you can readily notice any bumps and impacts that someone does to your car.
By focusing on the security basics alone, this is an alarm system worth having if you have a limited budget.
Crimestopper
Crimestopper offers car alarm systems that go a long way in providing security for your vehicle. The rechargeable remotes have an LCD screen that shows the status of your car and alert you to any form or tampering or vandalism. It even shows the side of the car that is being targeted.
The siren utilizes 25 watts of power, making it powerful enough to notify you and at the same time scare away criminals.
