“Alarmingly Useless: The Case for Banning Car Alarms in New York City”, 2003-03-21 (; backlinks):
T.A. undertook this study to determine the costs and benefits of audible car alarms in the nation’s densest urban environment and to map out a strategy for banning audible car alarms in the five boroughs of New York City. Summary of Findings:
CAR ALARMS COST NEW YORK $657.09$4002003 TO $821.37$5002003 MILLION PER YEAR: The average New York City resident pays a car alarm “Noise Tax” of ~$164.27$1002003 to $197.13$1202003 per year. Added up, car alarms cost New Yorkers between $657.09$4002003 and $821.37$5002003 million per year in public health costs, lost productivity, decreased property value, and diminished quality of life.
Car alarms are a substantial and costly public health problem. The type of noise produced by car alarms boosts stress hormones and has been linked to cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal illnesses, psychological problems and unhealthy fetal development in a number of studies over the last 30 years.
Car alarms hurt New York City’s kids. Children who are exposed to the type of noise produced by car alarms have been found to have more problems with reading, motivation, and scholastic aptitude.
Car alarms destroy civility and quality of life. US Census data from 2001 show that traffic noise and car alarms are a primary reason why families leave American cities.
AUDIBLE CAR ALARMS DO NOT WORK: Manufacturers, installers, insurers, criminologists, police, and thieves all say that car alarms are ineffective at stopping car theft. They simply do not work.
A 1997 analysis of insurance-claims data from 73 million vehicles concludes that cars with alarms “show no overall reduction in theft losses” compared to cars without alarms. GM, Ford, and other auto-makers have begun to phase out factory installations of car alarms, calling the devices mere “noisemakers.”
People don’t respond to car alarms because the vast majority are false. Authorities estimate that 95% to 99% of all car alarms are false. The Progressive Insurance Company found that fewer than 1% of respondents say they would call the police upon hearing a car alarm.
The professionalization of car theft has made alarms obsolete. In the past 20 years, car theft has evolved from a juvenile pastime into a $13.47$8.22003 billion a year business. 80% of cars are stolen by organized crime. Alarms do not deter the pros.
THERE ARE MANY GOOD ALTERNATIVES TO CAR ALARMS: There are numerous inexpensive and effective automobile security products on the market today. If audible alarms were made illegal, car owners would switch to more effective devices.
Brake locks are inexpensive (about $82.14$502003) and difficult to defeat.
Personal car alarm pagers buzz a vehicle’s owner when a car is disturbed rather than annoying an entire neighborhood.
Lojack uses global positioning satellites to keep track of vehicles and often leads police to the thieves’ chop shops.
Passive immobilizers have reduced theft rates of some car models by as much as 77%.
THE CITY CAN LEGALLY BAN CAR ALARMS: New York City law currently limits audible alarms to three minutes of noise and bans the use of motion sensors, the technology responsible for most false alarms. These laws are ineffective and mostly unenforced.
T.A. legal analysis concludes that the City of New York has the authority to ban the sale, use, or installation of audible motor vehicle alarms.
City Council members introduced a bill in 2000 to ban the sale and installation of car alarms in New York City. The bill is currently buried in the City Council Committee on Environmental Protection and has never received a public hearing.
Insiders say that a ban on car alarms is being prevented by City Council members who are afraid to take away the 5% discount on comprehensive coverage (less than $32.85$202003 per year on average) that some car owners receive for having alarms in their vehicles.
Recommendations: Ban audible car alarms in New York City.