DataDot

Indestructible microdots foil crime

MICRODOTTING could become a compulsory identification technology for new vehicles from next year in a bid to identify stolen and hijacked cars in SA.

This is part of a drive by the South African Police Service (SAPS) to recover some of the 90000 vehicles stolen each year, worth about R9bn.

Business Against Crime SA (Bacsa) CEO Graham Wright says his association partnered with the government and private service providers such as Datadot in developing and applying the new vehicle identification numbers.

But Bacsa says the transport ministry still needs to publish the regulations to make microdotting compulsory .

"The Department of Transport is certainly committed to rooting out all forms of crime, with recovering stolen vehicles through this technology taking some priority. W e are therefore confident the National Road Traffic Act will make microdotting a requirement."

The partnership between Bacsa, industry and the government has led to a new microdotting standard — SANS 534-1 — being developed. This is a step towards ensuring stolen cars are not disposed of and that parts are not sold illegally , as every part is individually marked.

According to Datadot, one of the four companies providing microdotting for vehicles, the process involves applying about 10000 tiny polyester or metal dots to the vehicle in more than 90 different places. Each dot is less than 1mm in diameter and contains the vehicle's DNA or identity.

A unique vehicle pin is laser- etched onto the dots , showing repeated lines of text.

Datadot manufactures the laser- etched dots in the Eastern Cape, which are then dispatched to o riginal e quipment m anufacturers, such as Nissan SA.

The car maker has been using microdotting since October 2006 and enthuses about the technology's many benefits.

One of these is that customers whose cars are equipped with advanced identification technology pay lower insurance premiums. Datadot emphasises that microdotting is a on e-off fee, with no monthly payments.

A study conducted by Bacsa says the recovery rate of stolen vehicles that were microdotted reached 91%, against a rate of only 52% for models in the same vehicle class that were not microdotted. "The muscle of the dot comes down to the availability of the information at the right level, not just at the police level but at dealer, bank and insurance levels," says Datadot.

In the past, a vehicle was identified by its chassis number, but this number could be changed, allowing stolen or hijacked vehicles to be relicensed under a new identity and parts to be sold.

Bacsa said that older vehicles could also undergo microdotting, but that the owner had to take it to the vehicle manufacturer.

Basca spokeswoman Deborah Hunt says the organisation has not yet formalised the price of microdotting for older vehicles, as the technology will be included in the manufacturing price for new vehicles. But she says that it will be relatively inexpensive.

By making microdotting compulsory, Basca hopes to make the government its "strategic partner in leveraging a substantial reduction in crime in SA to enable businesses to feel safe and secure".

Bacsa says its efforts are spurred on by the persistent and unacceptably high levels of crime and violence in SA , the continued underperformance of the c riminal j ustice s ystem , and other environmental, systemic and societal issues fuelling the cycle of crime.

Last year, Bacsa, Nissan SA, the Department of Transport and the SAPS demonstrated the resilience of the microdot technology at the South African National Defence Force Military Base.

A bomb disposal unit loaded a military vehicle with 20kg of high explosives. The explosives detonated at 7800m/s with a resultant heat of 3000°C.

The vehicle identification number remained intact, even when the vehicle was damaged.