Car thieves may soon be caught more easily thanks to new microtechnology that will probably be compulsory on all new cars by early 2011.
The technology sprays thousands of microdots, each carrying identifying numbers, to sections of cars no visible from the outside; the go inside the doors, the boot and under the bonnet and can be read with special equipment.
Wayne Duvenhage, executive head of car-rental company Avis, said such technology would be a real deterrent to car thieves. As many as 10 000 dots, made of an advanced polyester, would be fitted to every car.
Help for the police
Criminals would be able to find some of the dots but it would be almost impossible to find all 10 000.
Duvenhage added: "Avis was one of the first companies to use this technology to fight car-theft. This microtechnology will lead to the demise of many illegal stripping workshops in South Africa. More car thieves will also be caught."
He said the technology would help the police to identify stolen vehicles much more quickly; the job used to be much more difficult because engine and chassis numbers were changed or removed.
The technology is also available to owners of older cars.
The technology sprays thousands of microdots, each carrying identifying numbers, to sections of cars no visible from the outside; the go inside the doors, the boot and under the bonnet and can be read with special equipment.
Wayne Duvenhage, executive head of car-rental company Avis, said such technology would be a real deterrent to car thieves. As many as 10 000 dots, made of an advanced polyester, would be fitted to every car.
Help for the police
Criminals would be able to find some of the dots but it would be almost impossible to find all 10 000.
Duvenhage added: "Avis was one of the first companies to use this technology to fight car-theft. This microtechnology will lead to the demise of many illegal stripping workshops in South Africa. More car thieves will also be caught."
He said the technology would help the police to identify stolen vehicles much more quickly; the job used to be much more difficult because engine and chassis numbers were changed or removed.
The technology is also available to owners of older cars.