Violent car crime can be stemmed with more widespread use of laminated glass, according to a survey by What Car magazine.
Aggravated vehicle thefts in the UK totalled 11,500 in 2002/3, averaging more than 32 per day.In our sister magazine’s annual Security Supertest, cars protected only by conventional glass were broken in seconds by a brick or hammer. Those fitted with a laminated window, a double-layer of glass sandwiching a thin plastic film, faired much better against the same attack. Currently, only luxury models, such as the Lexus LS430, winner of What Car?’s annual Security Supertest, have this protective glass fitted as standard. Another measure to help reduce crime is the increased use of tracking devices to help locate a car after it has been stolen.
Results show that all but 10 of the 38 vehicles tested were successfully broken into in less than two minutes, including best-sellers such as the Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra and BMW 3-series.
Read the full story in the December 2003 issue of What Car?
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