Halfords' new steering wheel lock is the world's first with a fingerprint reader
The prouder you are of the car you drive, the more likely you are to want to give it a bit of extra protection, over and above its own locking system. Steering wheel locks, depending on who you ask, are either a bit much or a smart and visible way to deter any potential thieves.
The locks, though, are also traditionally pretty low-tech, simply locking the wheel in place to stop the car being driven. Now, though, Halfords has unveiled a bit of a leap forward for the form. The clue is very much in the name of its new Fingerprint T-Bar Steering Lock.
The metal lock has a fingerprint reader on its top surface which can unlock the T-Bar, letting you use the vehicle. It can store up to 20 different fingerprints, meaning that you could have 20 different users, if each is happy to have just the one digit mapped to the vehicle, or instead use 10 of the slots to have all of your own fingers and thumbs registered.
The lock is charged by a USB port, but Halfords hasn't said how long it'll last between top-ups.
A visual deterrent
Of course, while unlocking with a fingerprint is convenient for the owner, it arguably doesn't change the security implications that drastically - a thief wouldn't have had the key to your old-school lock, and assumedly won't have your finger there either, so in both cases brute force would come into play. Time will tell how effective the lock is in that regard.
If you do fancy a bit of upgraded locking tech for your car, though, the Fingerprint T-Bar Steering Lock is available from Halfords now, and costs £59.99.
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