Business Against Crime SA has come out in strong support of microdotting cars and is encouraging motor vehicle owners to consider the technology for their vehicles.
Statistics from Australian and UK studies reveal that microdot technology could lead to a significant reduction in the number of vehicle thefts and hijackings - decreases of about 50% to 60% have been reported, claims Dr Graham Wright, national project manager of the Organised Crime Project at Business Against Crime SA.
"Microdot technology has been identified as the most promising and cost effective means available of entrenching the identity of a motor vehicle and its parts and consequently, should be seen as an important addition to the suite of options available to combat vehicle crime," says Wright.
The technology involves the application of thousands of small (typically one-millimetre diameter) polymeric or metallic discs, inscribed with the vehicle identification number or an agreed PIN. Once applied, the microdots are extremely difficult to remove and serve as a lasting reminder of the original identity of the motor vehicle and its parts, Fouche Burgers, also a project manager for the initiative, tells ITWeb.
The discs, says Burgers, are typically applied to 88 places on a vehicle through handheld, low-pressure, spray systems, together with a suitable adhesive. Confirmation of a vehicle`s identity is simply done by extracting a sample of the material and subjecting this to observation through a low-powered easy-to-use microscope.
These kits, costing about R250 a unit, have already been distributed to the South African Police Service (SAPS), he says.
Low cost
Vehicle manufacturers and importers, including Volkswagen, KIA and Toyota, have introduced microdotting for their new products, says Burgers. Vehicle owners, he adds, can have the discs applied at a number of accredited centres around the country.
A further advantage, he notes, is the relatively low cost of applying the microdots. The cost of having the discs applied to new vehicles is R200, while aftermarket applications cost about R900.
The technology serves several purposes, Wright adds, including reducing unlawful activities in the second-hand parts market. The technology, he says, will assist SAPS in identifying vehicles and vehicle parts in suspected chop-shops, thus enabling the prosecution of offenders.
"Criminals consider a mirodotted vehicle and its components as 'contaminated`, making these vehicles less desirable for theft."
So far the technology has been applied to nearly 50 000 vehicles in the country, largely at the request of rental companies and vehicle insurers, and it is anticipated that a further 30 000 cars will be fitted with microdots next year, says Wright.
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