The number of vehicles stolen in the UK over 12 months stands at well over 132,000. According to figures provided by AA Insurance Services, theft from vehicles has also seen an increase of around 9.9%, with over 200,000 drivers having property stolen from their vehicles.
These figures show precisely why taking steps to protect your car from theft is so important. There are various methods of doing this, including using mechanical anti-theft devices such as steering wheel locks as well as employing more technical devices such as the latest vehicle trackers, alarms and immobilisers.
Here are some practical ways to protect your car and its contents.
Lock Your Vehicle!
Police forces around the UK regularly run campaigns reminding car owners to lock their vehicles when walking away from them. Even if you are filling up at a petrol station or parking on your driveway, locking the car reduces the opportunity for passing thieves to try their luck.
Bear in mind that it is illegal to leave your car running whilst unattended, whatever the reason and your insurer will not pay out if it is stolen when unattended.
Before walking away from the car, double-check that all doors, windows, and boots are locked.
Keep Your Keys Safe
When at home, always keep your keys or key fob out of view of any windows and well away from the front door to prevent thieves from ‘fishing’ through the letterbox. At work or when socialising, never leave your car keys in view; always keep them safely in an inside pocket or in a secure handbag.
Cars with keyless entry are particularly vulnerable to having the fob cloned, whereby a thief with a device could unlock your car remotely by fooling the car into thinking your key or fob is close by. Put your key or fob into a Faraday Pouch when not in use to protect it by blocking its signal. Remember to turn off or disable any wireless signals until you use the vehicle again.
Park Safely
Always try and park your car somewhere well-lit and busy; thieves will not usually attempt to steal or break into a car when there are lots of people around.
Fit Good In-Car Security Locks
The key to keeping your car safe is to make it as difficult and as time-consuming as possible for someone to try and steal your car. Additional security devices such as steering wheel locks, gear stick locks and even pedal locks will all help to dissuade an opportunist thief.
Immobilisers
Most modern cars come with factory-fitted alarms/immobilisers. Still, it could be worth looking at installing a good quality aftermarket immobiliser – look for a Thatcham-approved device as these could help to reduce your insurance premium.
Vehicle Trackers
One of the very best ways to protect your car is by having a GPS vehicle tracker installed. These work by monitoring the location of your vehicle at all times and can send an alert to your phone, tablet or other device to warn you of any unauthorised movement of your car. Some allow you to set geofencing limits to ensure your car does not get taken beyond certain set boundaries.
There is a huge range of vehicle trackers on the market today to suit all requirements and budgets, and they have a range of features depending on your needs. A tracking device can be self-installed or professionally installed so before you look at buying one, make sure you get expert advice from a company specialising in the very latest tracking devices.
Don’t Tempt Thieves
Finally, never leave valuables on show in the car. Remove bags, phones and satnavs from view to ensure there’s no opportunity for someone walking past to spot something they’d like to take.
