Car crime can be expensive, distressing and deeply inconvenient, so it makes sense to do what you can to protect your vehicle from being stolen, damaged or broken into.
According to the Office of National Statistics, in the year ending June 2022, there were nearly 380,000 vehicle thefts. That’s around 7,300 per week – and the figure excludes cases where cars have been broken into and had contents stolen. What’s more, 93% of those cars were stolen without use of the owners’ keys. Last week we looked at some simple steps that you can take to protect your vehicle from car crime. This week, we will have a look at some products that could help to keep your vehicle safe, and give you additional peace of mind.
Faraday pouch
Keyless entry theft involves a thief intercepting your car key’s electronic signal and sending it to a transmitter. The transmitter stores the information and can then be used as a key to get into, and drive, the vehicle.
Faraday pouches and bags are also known as signal-blocking pouches or bags. They are lined with metallic material that acts as a signal barrier, blocking the signal from your key so that thieves can’t clone it. The downside is that you need to remove your key from the pouch in order to unlock your car, which somewhat defeats the object of having keyless entry. However, bearing in mind the huge rise in keyless entry theft, the inconvenience of having to take your key out of your bag to use it is a small price to pay. And from as little as £5 each, faraday bags are a low cost security measure.
Steering wheel lock
Steering wheel locks basically provide a signal to would-be thieves to stay away. They are usually brightly coloured and unwieldy; they can be broken by a determined thief but the colour, size and effort required will usually be enough to deter opportunists.
Car tracker
A GPS tag is a low cost and effective way of tracking your vehicle in the event that it is stolen. There are a huge range of trackers available, from tags that link automatically to your mobile device, to more technical trackers that link into your vehicle’s on-board diagnostics port. Trackers could have a double benefit as an insurer-approved one can reduce your insurance premium, too.
In-vehicle CCTV
Dash cams don’t just record when you are driving; some have a parking mode that detects activity while your vehicle is parked.
If you are concerned about your vehicle’s security, or you are not sure about what security elements your vehicle possesses as standard, check your user manual or ask a local car locksmith or your local garage for advice.
For more tips about keeping you, your vehicle and other road users safe, follow Trust A Garage on Facebook or Twitter.