DataDot

Dots diddle car thieves

For South African car owners, the future is dotted with bright lights at the end of a long dark tunnel as new technology to recover stolen cars makes its way into the market.

Microdots, which are smaller than a size of a full-stop, are laser-printed dots that are superimposed across the body of the car and contain vital vehicle information that can be used to determine if a vehicle is stolen or not.

Business Against Crime South Africa (BACSA) is spearheading efforts to get the technology rolled out across the country in their continual drive to curb the alarming number of hijackings and vehicle thefts.

Theft: A R9bn industry

Statistics reveal more than 90 000 vehicles worth more than R9-billion are stolen in South Africa every year.

BCSA's Microdot project manager, Fouche Burger, told SA-The Good News that the crime-fighting organization is waiting for the government to approve the legislation authourising the use of Microdots by every manufacturer.

But as it is, the South African Police Service (SAPS) has announced that Microdots will be compulsory for all new vehicles registered on or after 01 January 2010.

Used for decades by spies to send information secretly and securely, Burger says it won't be long before police will start using the technology to identify stolen vehicles at road blocks. The microdots are too small to see with the naked eye, and can be identified by police when examining stolen cars using magnifying glasses and specialised equipment to see microdots.

"Currently there are specialised units within the SAPS utilising the technology as a number of car manufactures have started using microdots," says Burger.

Already in use

As of 31 May 2009 over 370 000 vehicles in the country where microdotted by the following companies: Nissan, BMW, Avis Rent-a-Car, Toyota (on the Quantum minibus), SAPS, SAVRALA and Vesa, Burger revealed.

"The effect of their decision to mark all their vehicles, even in difficult economic times, will benefit the country for many years to come. What we hope to see, however, is other manufactures and the leasing, rental and insurance industries, using the technology," he pointed out.

The process involves the application of approximately 10 000 tiny polyester or metal dots, each less than 1 mm in diameter and each containing the vehicle's identification number (VIN) or a unique vehicle PIN etched onto it by a laser-etching process, as repeated lines of text.

The microdots are applied to 88 different locations on a vehicle. And according to Burger discovering and removing all of them is practically impossible and any attempt in doing so results in the car's body being severely damaged.

Low-tech

It also helps that the technology used to identify microdots is cheap and easily available, said Deborah Hunt, Media Liaison at BACSA. "Police can use a low-tech magnifying glass, which is cost effective".

International statistics indicate that Microdot technology leads to a decrease of between 50 and 60 percent in the number of stolen and hijacked vehicles and an improvement of more than 55 percent in recoveries.

Microdots can also be used in recovering major car components sold as used parts and statistics indicate that this also is a deterrent for hijackings and motor vehicle theft.