See also Genetics research; Health care in Can-
ada; Health care in the United States; Medicine;
Transplantation.
Car alarms
Definition Warning devices activated when
thieves steal or damage vehicles
Vehicular thefts escalated in the United States during the
1980’s, increasing the need for automobile alarms and se-
curity systems.
During the 1980’s, the profile of the average auto-
mobile thief underwent a transition from joyriding
adolescent to aggressive professional. For the first
time in 1979, adults rather than juveniles repre-
sented the majority of vehicle thieves, who were of-
ten associated with so-called chop shops (workshops
that specialized in breaking a car down into its com-
ponent parts, so each part could be resold sepa-
rately). By 1980, U.S. vehicle owners reported over
one million vehicular thefts yearly, mostly in urban
areas, resulting in several billion dollars in losses. In
1960, 90 percent of stolen vehicles had been recov-
ered; the vehicle recovery rate in the 1980’s de-
creased to 9 percent, and few thieves were appre-
hended. Federal legislation throughout the 1980’s
addressed automobile theft, requiring U.S. vehicle
manufacturers in 1987 and afterward to produce
cars with pre-installed alarms or with specific parts
marked.
Most car alarms were electronic; owners utilized
switches, keypads, or keys to activate and deactivate
them. Alarms made loud noises, flashed lights, or
sent a radio signal to pagers when automobiles were
breached. Sensors on windows, gas caps, and trunks
also activated alarms. Pioneer distributed an ultra-
sonic car alarm operated by remote control. Profes-
sional thieves, however, quickly learned how the
most popular alarms operated, and the most skilled
thieves could disarm most alarms in a matter of sec-
onds.
Costs associated with purchasing and installing
car alarms, often totaling several hundred to thou-
sands of dollars, resulted in many drivers choosing
not to purchase them. Car alarm installation was
sometimes inconsistent. In 1986, Texas was the sole
state implementing licensing procedures for alarm
installation services. Consumer Reportsrated car
alarms. Some motorists built car alarms based on in-
structions printed inPopular MechanicsandRadio-
Electronics.
In 1981, the Consumer Federation of America es-
timated that motorists spent $295 million yearly for
vehicle security equipment to thwart thieves. Many
consumers considered antitheft devices that would
impede ignition and fuel functions or immobilize
steering wheels and pedals to be more effective than
simple car alarms. A 1983 Mediamark Research re-
port analyzed U.S. car-alarm usage, stating that fewer
than 3 percent of automobiles were guarded by
alarms, and it was mostly urban, middle-aged males
that used car alarms. Some insurance providers of-
fered premium discounts ranging from 5 to 20 per-
cent to motorists who installed alarms in their vehi-
cles. Starting in 1987, several states required insurers
to discount rates for vehicles with alarms. By the
late 1980’s, more consumers chose to purchase car
alarms, as electronic technology became cheaper.
Improvements, such as incorporating microproces-
sors, improved car alarms’ performance and mini-
mized false alarms.
Impact Despite car alarms, vehicle thefts accel-
erated by the late 1980’s. In 1988, approximately
1.4 million automobiles were stolen in the United
States, amounting to $7 billion in losses. Car alarms
often did not deter thieves, who quickly snatched
goods inside vehicles or swiftly transported vehicles
to chop shops seconds after alarms notified owners
of a crime. Many car alarms were ineffective, be-
cause owners frustrated by false alerts stopped using
their alarms. Indeed, as the decade progressed, most
people began to assume that any car alarms they
heard were false alarms, so the alarms ceased to act
as deterrents to criminals. The sound of a car alarm
going off in the night became normal background
noise in many U.S. cities during the 1980’s. Local
governments even passed ordinances providing po-
lice with the legal authority to shut off car alarms
when residents complained about the noise. Inven-
tors developed tracking devices such as Lojack as al-
ternatives to car alarms.
Further Reading
“Auto Alarm Systems.”Consumer Reports51 (Octo-
ber, 1986): 658-662.
Farber, M. A. “Amateurs Fading in World of Car
Theft.”The New York Times, December 13, 1983,
pp. A1, B4.The Eighties in America Car alarms 187