Over the past years, the Cadillac Escalade has been constantly topping the most stolen cars in the United States, despite General Motors’ efforts to make the car harder and harder to fall victims to thieves. The company has recently announced new security features that will be integrated into the new 2012 Cadillac Escalade to try and fight push-away and towing thieves.
“The goal is to make the Escalade a very difficult target for thieves without any added inconvenience for customers. The new systems work in the background and few people realize they are there, but they are strong added protections,” said Bill Biondo, the man in charge with General Motors’ global vehicle theft prevention.
While the car already offers a few great security features such as the standard OnStar security technology with remote ignition lock (stops the engine from being started if “violent” activity is detected), the 2012 enhancements include a new encryption system for the key, key cylinder and ignition system called PASS Key 3+, which combats drive-away thefts, a new steering column lock that will make the Escalade harder to lift on a flatbed (fights push-away thefts) and a shock sensor that triggers the alarm when the vehicle is being “shocked”.
But these aren’t the only new security features, because Cadillac will also offer a new inclination sensor that starts the alarm when the vehicle’s position is being modified, plus a new wheel lock system that will make tires and wheels harder to steal.
Bill Biondo also added: “Combined, these technologies comprise one of the most-extensive sets of theft-deterrent measures available for this type of vehicle and meet or exceed security specifications among global vehicle security analysts.”
Also, the CEO and president of the National Insurance Crime Bureau, Joe Wehrle, said: “These types of innovative theft prevention technologies are a significant step in helping to reduce vehicle thefts.”
According to the official press release, since Escalade has been one of the most stolen cars in the United States, Cadillac and General Motors started working together with U.S. law enforcement agencies to try and develop the best theft prevention system and also educate car owners on what to do to lower the risk of getting their cars stolen.
Among the most important advice are some common sense rules such as not leaving valuables in plain sight, not leaving the car with the keys in the ignition, using wheel locks if the car is equipped with expensive wheels and avoiding parking the car in dark places.