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DNA For Your Car Not a day goes by when we don't hear same 'horror story about a brutal hijacking or an increase in hi-jacking rates over last month or last year or whatever. It seems that as cars became harder to steal, it becomes so much easier to just stand on some street corner and threaten someone's life. It's becoming a really unfunny joke --with more than 100 000 cars being nicked or hijacked every year. While those in government seem reluctant to actually take personal responsibility for what's going on and just pass on the buck, there are those who actually are doing something to become part of the solution, and that buck mainly falls into the private sector. There's no doubt that satellite tracking has made a decent dent in car theft stats, but there is another technology that could also be revolutionary in its own right. It might not be new, but Microdot technology looks set to take off, It all boils down to thorough marking of cars. With at least 88 different parts of each vehicle sprayed with about 10 000 of these microscopic laser dots, which are only visible under UV light or under a microscope, it now becomes virtually impossible for thieves to get rid of the car's DNA trace – especially since these dots contain the vehicle's VIN number if they were factory fitted or a separate number that can be linked to the VIN if the dots were an aftermarket fitment. All this would be of little help if the police force wasn't in on the game, and from what I hear, it most certainly is. SAPS vehicle crime specialist Herman van Zyl tells us that DataDot, the company supplying microdots, has supplied police forces around the country with about 1000 'kits' that allow officials to identify microdots on cars. According to Herman, there are 3500 cops capable of using this equipment to identify microdots – a process that takes only a few minutes at a roadblock, and could become even quicker if more expensive technology is eventually issued. We've been encouraging manufacturers to fit microdots For quite some time now. Toyota did make a start by fitting them to its Quantum busses, and now Nissan has taken the plunge by fitting microdots as a standard feature on all of its vehicles. The dots kit also comes with a sticker that fits the car's quarter rear window – which is turning into something of a 'keep away' sign for syndicate members. It's all about out-monstering the monster. Out-dogging tho dog. Being part of the solution rather than the problem. That's something that Nissan has certainly done, and a few people in government, like Herman who – through all our conversations on the phone has shown a burning passion for reducing vehicle theft. He in fact, pioneered our own CIA security rating a few years back. We need more people like that in government departments and more manufacturers following Nissan's lead by fitting all their cars with microdots – perhaps they could even form a fund to supply police with more expensive equipment for identifying vehicles. I'm willing to bet that would strangle the ear theft industry once and for all. |
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