VIN etching
Encyclopedia
VIN etching is a countermeasure to motor vehicle theft
. It most commonly involves the use of a stencil
and glass
etching paste to etch a vehicle's vehicle identification number
(VIN) onto the windshield
and windows. Thieves would need to replace the glass before selling the stolen vehicle, thus reducing or eliminating their profit. VIN etching can increase the odds of recovery of car by police.
According to Allstate Insurance
, most parts on a vehicle have at least a partial VIN stamped onto them, and many auto parts buyers will not buy parts that have identification numbers. Should a thief try to sell the parts from a vehicle for profit, those stamped parts carry a higher risk for both the thief and the auto parts seller. Since the glass has no identification number, and is often readily interchangeable with many different years and models of vehicle, there is often a much greater profit for the thief compared to other components on the vehicle.
VIN Etching is recommended by police and Farmers insurance agencies.
Motor vehicle theft
Motor vehicle theft is the criminal act of stealing or attempting to steal a motor vehicle...
. It most commonly involves the use of a stencil
Stencil
A stencil is a thin sheet of material, such as paper, plastic, or metal, with letters or a design cut from it, used to produce the letters or design on an underlying surface by applying pigment through the cut-out holes in the material. The key advantage of a stencil is that it can be reused to...
and glass
Glass
Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
etching paste to etch a vehicle's vehicle identification number
Vehicle identification number
A Vehicle Identification Number, commonly abbreviated to VIN, is a unique serial number used by the automotive industry to identify individual motor vehicles. VINs were first used in 1954...
(VIN) onto the windshield
Windshield
The windshield or windscreen of an aircraft, car, bus, motorbike or tram is the front window. Modern windshields are generally made of laminated safety glass, a type of treated glass, which consists of two curved sheets of glass with a plastic layer laminated between them for safety, and are glued...
and windows. Thieves would need to replace the glass before selling the stolen vehicle, thus reducing or eliminating their profit. VIN etching can increase the odds of recovery of car by police.
According to Allstate Insurance
Allstate
The Allstate Corporation is the second-largest personal lines insurer in the United States and the largest that is publicly held. The company also has personal lines insurance operations in Canada. Allstate was founded in 1931 as part of Sears, Roebuck and Co., and was spun off in 1993...
, most parts on a vehicle have at least a partial VIN stamped onto them, and many auto parts buyers will not buy parts that have identification numbers. Should a thief try to sell the parts from a vehicle for profit, those stamped parts carry a higher risk for both the thief and the auto parts seller. Since the glass has no identification number, and is often readily interchangeable with many different years and models of vehicle, there is often a much greater profit for the thief compared to other components on the vehicle.
VIN Etching is recommended by police and Farmers insurance agencies.