A steering-wheel lock is a visible

anti-theft device Anti-theft systems protect valuables such as vehicles and personal property like wallets, phones, and jewelry. They are also used in retail settings to protect merchandise in the form of security tags and labels. Anti-theft systems include devices ...

Seelhorst, Mary
"Think It's New? Think Again!" March 2002.
''

Popular Mechanics ''Popular Mechanics'' (sometimes PM or PopMech) is a magazine of popular science and technology, featuring automotive, home, outdoor, electronics, science, do-it-yourself, and technology topics. Military topics, aviation and transportation o ...

'', Retrieved 8 February 2017. that immobilizes the

steering wheel A steering wheel (also called a driving wheel (UK), a hand wheel, or simply wheel) is a type of steering control in vehicles. Steering wheels are used in most modern land vehicles, including all mass-production automobiles, buses, light and ...

of a

car A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods. The year 1886 is regarded as ...

. Also known as a crook lock, or club lock, the first generation of steering-wheel locks, known as canes,Raven, Greg & Chad Erickson (2011)
''Water-Cooled VW Performance Handbook: 3rd Edition'', p. 192. MBI Publishing Company.
Google Books. Retrieved 8 February 2017. consisted of a lockable bar that connected the steering wheel to the brake pedal or

clutch pedal Car controls are the components in automobiles and other powered road vehicles, such as trucks and buses, used for driving and parking. While controls like steering wheels and pedals have existed since the invention of cars, other controls have ...

. Later models include devices which lock across the steering wheel and extend out over the

dashboard For business applications, see Dashboard (business). A dashboard (also called dash, instrument panel (IP), or fascia) is a control panel set within the central console of a vehicle or small aircraft. Usually located directly ahead of the driver ...

Phillips, Bill (1993)
''Home Mechanix Guide to Security: Protecting Your Home, Car, & Family'', p. 124. Wiley.
Google Books. Retrieved 8 February 2017. preventing the steering wheel from being turned. Wheel-locks have been used since at least the early 1920s, when many cars were open

touring car Touring car and tourer are both terms for open cars (i.e. cars without a fixed roof). "Touring car" is a style of open car built in the United States which seats four or more people. The style was popular from the early 1900s to the 1930s. Th ...

s and

roadsters __NOTOC__ Roadster may refer to: Transportation * Roadster (automobile), an open, two-seat, often sporty car ** Roadster utility, an automobile with an open-topped roadster body and a rear cargo bed * Roadster (bicycle), a utilitarian bicycle, typ ...

(later known as

convertible A convertible or cabriolet () is a passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary among eras and manufacturers. A convertible car's design allows an open-air driving expe ...

s). The ''Official Gazette of the

United States Patent Office The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is an agency in the U.S. Department of Commerce that serves as the national patent office and trademark registration authority for the United States. The USPTO's headquarters are in Alexa ...

'' published details of

patent A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an enabling disclosure of the invention."A p ...

s filed in 1916. Steering wheel locks can be defeated by cutting the lock or cutting the steering wheel. Steering wheel locks should not be confused with steering column locks, which are built into the steering column and immobilize it when the key is removed. Steering column locks are standard on all modern cars and reduced crime rates when first introduced in the 1970's.

References

{{reflist Crime prevention Vehicle security systems

See also

References