Porsche have found themselves at the forefront of the luxury car industry for almost 100 years. Ever since German Ferdinand Porsche founded the company in 1931, they have been at the cutting edge of the automative industry. Today, they continue to produce some of the world’s most valuable, recognisable and highest performing cars in the world.
Consumers still buy Porsche cars in their droves for their drives, but that also means car thieves have an equally high interest in them. Fitting a car tracker to your Porsche means that you can secure your dream car and stop its loss becoming a nightmare.
With that in mind, we wanted to put together a list of the best Porsche trackers available and highlight how important it is to keep an eye on your incredible piece of German engineering should the worst happen.
SmarTrack Protector Pro Global
The Protector Pro Global from SmarTrack is a great place to start when you’re looking for a tracking system for your Porsche. Not only is it fully approved by Porsche themselves (not to mention the insurance industry and Thatcham), it’s also one of our best-selling and most cost-effective systems.
The power within the system belies its compact yet rugged size. You get all the alerts you would expect with an S7 tracker like low battery, motion detection and battery disconnection. These come through its dedicated smartphone app.
Behind all that is the monitoring that comes with SmarTrack’s 24/7 control room. Whether you’re buying your first Porsche or your last, the Protector Pro is easily transferable from one vehicle to another.
Vodafone Protect and Connect S5 VTS
If you’re looking to protect your Porsche with the highest level of protection, the Protect and Connect S5 VTS from Vodafone Automotive is for you.
Don’t be fooled by the brand name, S5 is Thatcham’s highest level of protection when it comes to vehicle security and it shows with this incredible piece of equipment. It’s differentiating feature is the Automatic Driver Recognition tags that are included. These amazing little devices are pocket-sized cards that you simply carry with you. When they are close by your Porsche, or any vehicle for that matter, they deactivate the system, allowing you to drive it away. If they’re not close by when the vehicle is moved, the alarm is raised.
Thanks to Vodafone Automotive’s ‘My Connected Car’ smartphone app, you have a whole host of other features right at your fingertips. You can track your trip history, speed alerts and create geofencing right from your pocket. Like the SmarTrack, this system is also approved by Porsche themselves in addition to a raft of other manufacturers including Lamborghini, Bentley and Ferrari.
Whether you’re a petrolhead or just someone who appreciates the finer things in life, Porsche are one of the few cars that still manage to turn heads. Sadly, those heads sometimes belong to car thieves, so investing in a car tracker to protect your German pride and joy is an obvious decision.
Our dedicated team of installation engineers are ready to come and fit your choice of Porsche tracker, no matter where you are in the UK to give you the peace of mind car trackers give.
It’s easy to think that when you’re looking at car trackers, that the only weapon in the car security arsenal is the ability to track a stolen vehicle to wherever the thieves have stored it, but there’s more you can do.
One powerful feature that many S5+ trackers in particular have is vehicle immobilisation. Let’s take a look at what it is, what it does, and which are the best trackers to make use of this often-overlooked feature.
What is Immobilisation?
Immobilisation works by effectively disabling two of the three main components required to start a car. Within the car is something called the Electronic Code Unit, or ECU, which gives the engine the go-ahead to start when it receives a digital signal from your keys or keyless entry fob.
The components in question, namely the ignition system, starter motor and fuel system, all need a code from your ECU to start. Immobilisation works by preventing that code reaching the ECU. Some modern immobilisers can be operated through a smartphone app or via Bluetooth.
Vehicle immobilisation was first used as far back as 1992, but became compulsory on all new vehicles in England and Wales since October 1998. Whilst factory-fitted immobilisation is commonplace, they are far from the most sophisticated or technologically advanced systems available. They won’t generally include remote immobilisation.
Thatcham Research, the highest benchmark when it comes to vehicle security, put systems with immobilisers through rigorous testing to ensure they meet expectations in terms of performance, design and functionality.
There are a number of different categories products are tested against. We’re interested in systems that meet their S5+ category for post-theft and recovery systems. S5 is already the highest category, but the ‘+’ signifies that not only can the vehicle be tracked, but it can be remotely immobilised.
Meta BLE42 Bluetooth Immobiliser
If immobilisation is new to you or you have a classic vehicle, the Meta BLE42 is a fantastic entry point for those looking for a powerful, yet cost-effective device.
The device will arm every time the ignition is switched off. You can disarm it with the included bluetooth tag or its own smartphone app. It helps you guard against relay theft (a growing problem with any car), key cloning and On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) hacking. If all else fails, it comes with a simple 3-digit override PIN should you lose the tag or the battery runs out of juice.
ScorpionTrack S5+ (with Immobilisation)
This device from ScorpionTrack offers unparalleled levels of security for any car owner looking to take the protection of their car to the next level. The ScorpionTrack S5 is already an incredible piece of kit, thanks to its Driver ID tags, tow away and tamper alerts and a dedicated smartphone app. Throw in vehicle immobilisation as standard on this particular model, and they just made the best even better.
SmarTrack S5+ IMOB
If you’re looking for the creme-de-la-creme of vehicle immobilisation systems, then look no further than this. The SmarTrack S5 is already an incredible piece of kit, so when you add in the immobilisation element, you know you’re onto a winner.
Smartrack S5+ IMOB device is also leading the way when it comes to security for electric and hybrid vehicles. Its credentials don’t just look forward to the future of the industry, but backwards too by working equally well in classic cars. You get all the latest vehicle protections with the added peace of mind that comes as standard with a system from SmarTrack.
Any one of these amazing systems will stop you, as well as your car, dead in its tracks.
Trackers, like the cars they protect, are incredible pieces of equipment packed with technology. Unlike the vehicles themselves, the trackers pack a lot of advanced tech into a small footprint.
One piece of tech that often gets overlooked amongst all the other ‘bangs and whistles that come with trackers is GPS. The Global Positioning System is the cornerstone of almost all tracking systems. With that in mind, we wanted to take a look at the 3 best GPS trackers currently available.
ScorpionTrack S5 VTS
No list of the best GPS trackers would be complete without including the S5 VTS from ScorpionTrack. It is simply one of the best GPS systems you can buy.
Being an S5 tracker, Thatcham’s highest rating for car security, you can be assured that you’re getting a device that actively protects your vehicle when you’re not around. In addition to Thatcham’s seal of approval, this tracker is also designed and manufactured in the UK to the Police’s Preferred Specification. That is further enhanced with the inclusion of Automatic Driver Recognition tags. These pocket-sized devices act like a failsafe for the car. If they’re not in the proximity of the car and the car is moved, alerts are raised with the 24/7 control room and to the app on your phone.
Not only does the S5 VTS utilise the GPS network, it also incorporates GLONASS, Galileo and GSM technology. Having these additional tracking technologies within it means that its location can be more precisely tracked if stolen, whether it’s stored underground or locked in a shipping container. There’s nowhere for it hide.
Meta Trak S5 VTS
Another fantastic S5 system that easily makes the best GPS tracker list is the S5 VTS, but this time the model from Meta Trak. Like the ScorpionTrack we mentioned above, it also includes Driver ID tags. The similarities don’t stop there.
You get a dedicated smartphone app to monitor your journey history, motion alerts, not to mention low-battery and tamper alerts all at the tip of your fingers. Even if you change your vehicle, the tracker is easily transferable to another car. It’s worth mentioning that if you have a Škoda, SEAT or Volkswagen, then this device is approved by those car manufacturing giants, so you know you’re in safe hands.
SmarTrack Protector Pro Global
SmarTrack Protector Pro Global from SmarTrack not only makes the list of the best GPS trackers, but also the list of our best-selling systems and most cost-effective. This triple threat utilises the latest in GPS tracking technology making it surprisingly small and covert, but don’t let its size fool you, it’s packed with features.
The case itself is IP67-rated as waterproof, but its real power comes from the dedicated smartphone app that comes with it. You get alerts for everything from low battery, motion and battery disconnection. It’s internal battery means that even if the car’s battery is disconnected or removed, it can still send its location.
Whichever system you choose, one from this list or any of the others in our store, our team can come to you to install them wherever you are in the country. You can be assured of professional installation coupled with fantastic customer service thanks to our team of fully-trained and qualified engineers. GPS or not, there’s no getting away from that.
The modern cars that roll off their respective production lines these days are technologically more advanced, immeasurably safer, and more desirable than ever before. The sheer amount of research and development that goes into making the cars we drive the most advanced they have ever been truly mind-blowing.
For all the effort that goes into marketing, selling, and owning these cars, works just as easily for those wanting to steal them. For all the technology that goes into making driving these modern masterpieces such a pleasure, has also brought with it an industry full of people looking to take what isn’t theirs. Car crime may have evolved from pushing a wire coat-hanger down the door of a car to unpick the locking mechanism, but the impact is just the same.
There’s no worse feeling than having your personal possessions, your personal space violated so, when it comes to car theft, we wanted to take a look at just how thieves go about stealing cars in these modern times. Forewarned is forearmed after all.
History:
If you go back just a decade or two, car security was much more focused on physical deterrents and low-tech counter-measures. Thieves would have to smash a window, brute-force a door open and hot-wire the steering column. For car owners, protecting their cars meant tools like wheel clamps, steering wheel locks, handbrake covers were all common sights in car parks up and down the country.
As the technology used within cars increased and became more advanced, that balance shifted. Today, the vast majority of car security is centred around electronics and software. Everything from engine immobilisation and remote locks are controlled by zeros and ones. For car thieves, that has been a revelation.
Whilst keyless entry systems and push-button ignitions have become commonplace and are time-saving for consumers, they are the perfect opportunity for car thieves.
In many cases, car thieves will use your own car key to gain access to your vehicle. They won’t even have to mug you or pick-pocket you to get your key, they just need to be within a certain distance of your key fob and car.
They will use the signal emitted by your own key fob, detect it and then transmit it using a device that’s easily obtainable called a ‘repeater’. This signal gets to another thief standing next to the car with a receiver. Once the car detects the signal, it unlocks and can be started, and therefore driven away. This is a common practice when people leave their car keys next to the front door. The thief stands just outside the house with an accomplice next to your car and, before you know it, the car is gone. No smashed windows, no brute force.
How to Stop?
It’s easy to think there’s nothing you can do to stop this, but that’s not the case. Some of the easiest ways to stop this high-tech theft are decidedly low-tech. If you have a keyless entry on your car, either keep the key fob as far away from the car as possible when you’re not using it or alternatively, buy a Faraday case, pouch, or bag. This will stop the signal being emitted, giving the keys a ‘dead zone’, so no-one can intercept the signal.
If all else fails, having a car tracker installed on your vehicle will massively increase the chances of getting your stolen car, motorbike or motorhome back. You can see our range of trackers right here in our web store. There’s something to suit every vehicle and every budget.
Apple introduced the AirTag in April 2021. This iPhone accessory was designed to integrate within the Apple ecosystem. The AirTag is a small, circular token, about the size of a 10p piece, and was intended to be used to help you track down your keys, wallet or anything else that’s easily lost.
By attaching it via a separate accessory (this is Apple after all), or otherwise secreting it within an item, you can track down the AirTag an whatever it’s attached too using your iPhone, its Bluetooth connection or its Ultra Wideband technology utilising Apple’s ‘Find My’ network. So far, so good.
Whilst its main purpose is to help you find those things you often misplace, like your car keys or wallet, can it be used for other things? Can it, for example, be used as a cheap car tracker? Let’s take a look.
With car theft on the rise, harnessing whatever technology you can to help keep your possessions secure is common sense. It stands to reason that putting an AirTag in your car should help you locate it if it’s stolen. It sounds logical, but sadly that’s not the case. The limitations on the AirTag means that it’s not suitable, and here’s why.
Let’s start with the headlines.
The reasons why it sounds possible. The battery in a new AirTag lasts about a year. It pairs easily via Bluetooth with your iPhone, so you can ‘own’ the tag on your Apple ID. Whilst Bluetooth obviously has a limited range (about 30 metres or so), the AirTag also utilises Apple’s ‘Find My’ network, something that is already used to pinpoint your iPhone, iPad, AirPods or Apple Watch if you misplace them.
So, if your AirTag is paired with your phone, the AirTag is hidden somewhere in your car and the car is stolen, you should be able to find it using these features right? Well yes….. but.
Many of the safeguards within AirTag are the same ones that actually work against using it as a car tracker. Once of the concerns when the AirTag was released was around potential stalking incidents. What if someone placed an AirTag into the coat pocket or bag of someone else? Could they then track that person to their home or place of work? Apple had obviously thought of this (thankfully).
If this occurs and someone else’s AirTag was near you (or rather near your iPhone) for an extended period of time (around 24 to 72 hours), you would be notified that you were in constant range of a device your iPhone was not paired with. It will also begin to emit a noise after awhile. Another good safety measure to address issues of stalking. Now let’s imagine the same thing happened in your stolen car.
Eventually, the thief (assuming they had an iPhone, which let’s face it, most of us do) would get a notification that they were in contact range of an AirTag that wasn’t theirs. That would be their first inkling that something was amiss and they would start a hunt for it. If they couldn’t find it visually, eventually, the AirTag would start to make a noise, making finding it much simpler.
In addition, if they had one of the latest iPhones (11 or later), thanks to the Ultra-Wideband chip inside it, they would be able to find the AirTag exactly, thanks to visual cues on the iPhone that would pinpoint it to within a couple of centimetres.
Whilst there’s no denying the impact Apple has had on the consumer electronics market, using an AirTag as a car tracker simply isn’t a viable solution.
AirTags don’t include many of the features that come with most car trackers. Things like a connection to a 24/7 control centre monitored by dedicated staff who will liaise with the police to help recover your vehicle, like all Thatcham-approved trackers do. Nor do they have the ability to immobilise your vehicle if not in range of the car, like a Driver ID tag can.
If you’ve lost your keys, they’re great. If you’ve lost your car, you need a much more suitable option and AirTags just aren’t it.
One of the many terms you’ll see and hear a lot, especially when you’re looking to buy a car tracker, is ‘Thatcham Approved’, but what does that mean? What difference does it make to your buying experience and what’s the difference between a S5 and S7 car tracker? Let’s take a look.
What is Thatcham?
The term ‘Thatcham’ refers to Thatcham Research, who are the UKs only independent, insurer-approved research centre. It was started in 1969 and was funded by the motor insurance industry with the aim of improving car repairs and subsequently driving up safety and security standards across the industry.
Their approval centres around their Security Certification; a verification programme designed to assess and recognise automotive security products. It verifies all aspects of the product, from their design, functionality and performance, whilst also testing it against a pre-set list of requirements to provide an objective evaluation of the products capabilities. If it passes, it becomes ‘Thatcham-approved’.
In the 50+ years it has been operating, Thatcham have continued to revolutionise the way cars are made, gradually making them safer and more secure with every year that passes.
Over time, the way Thatcham has categorised the products they approve has changed. If you were to go back to 2018, there were 3 categories labelled Category 5, 6 and 7. A year later in 2019, they simplified this slightly by going down to just two categories; S5 and S7.
Each category represents the way the devices are designed, the features they have and which criteria they meet before they can be installed. Depending on the value of your car, many insurance companies will also make the installation of a Thatcham-approved tracker a requirement of your insurance policy. Whilst it might seem the wrong-way around, it’s the S5, not S7, that is the higher of the two, but what’s the difference in real terms?
In terms of an S7 Tracker, like the SmarTrack Protector Pro Global or the ScorpionTrack S7 ALS, this is the standard requirement for theft recovery systems and, as such, is the most commonly fitted tracking device.
Both an S5 and S7 tracker will share some commonality in terms of feature-set. These include monitoring by a control centre which means, in the event of a theft, you will have a team of trained staff who will liaise with the police on your behalf to track the vehicle down using their real-time tracking software.
In addition, both trackers will have worldwide coverage, so even if your vehicle is stolen whilst you’re abroad or it’s exported once stolen, it can still be found. Finally, both S5 and S7 trackers will have motion alerts to notify you if your vehicle is moved without the ignition being engaged. This also applies if you vehicle is towed whilst you’re away from it. So those are the features they share, but what sets an S5 tracker apart from an S7?
A Thatcham-approved S5 tracker, like the SmartTrack S5 D-iD T2 or the ScorpionTrack S5-VTS, will have all of those features, but will also include Automatic Driver Recognition, or ADR. This is designed to counteract key theft or key cloning, which has increased in recent years.
Buying an S5 tracker means you get a Driver ID tag, card or encrypted smartphone app which effectively identifies you as the authorised driver of the vehicle. You would keep this on your person and, should the vehicle be moved or towed without the Driver ID being nearby, you will be notified.
Whichever device you choose, you’re going to be getting an incredible piece of technology. You can find our complete range of S5 and S7 trackers in our store, and there’s going to be one that suits you perfectly.
What’s the best ‘anything’ is always a popular question to ask, but it’s also one that’s often suffixed with ‘yeah, but….’. Finding the best car tracker is, at least when it comes to securing your pride and joy, all about context. The real question is, what is the best car tracker for you.
We all have different needs, individual requirements and our own specific circumstances. What makes something the best tracker for you isn’t always going to be the best one for me. Instead, we wanted to put together a list of the best overall trackers on the market, so you can make an informed choice on which one is right for you and your vehicle. Starting with…
ScorpionTrack S7 ALS
If value is a key factor in your buying decision, then there are few that offer more at this price point than the S7 ALS from ScorpionTrack. It’s a Thatcham S7 (formerly Cat. 6) device that is fully insurance-approved.
It offers fantastic features for consumers, but also works equally as well for those of you managing fleet vehicles. You get journey history, geofence alerts and behavioural analysis for the drivers. Getting a new vehicle? Take it with you!
Meta Trak S5-VTS (& Meta Trak S5 Deadlock)
Another tracker that delivers incredible value for money is the S5 VTS from Meta Trak. This one meets Thatcham’s highest S5 standard, which means on top of the 24/7 monitoring and live tracking via its accompanying smartphone app, it also comes with Driver ID tags. This means the included tags have to be in proximity to the car before it will start. If not, alarms are raised. This model is also approved by some big car manufacturers including Seat, Škoda and Volkswagen.
If you’re looking for a bit more from your Meta Trak system, you can also check out its big brother, the Meta Trak S5 Deadlock! The Deadlock ups the ante when it comes to vehicle security and is one of the most comprehensive systems currently available. Not only do you get all the benefits of the VTS model (with the addition of ‘no tag, no start’ technology), you also get On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) port protection and remote immobilisation as standard. What a pair!
ScorpionTrack S5 VTS
If you’re looking for a device that is both insurance-approved but also contains a range of comprehensive features, this one from ScorpionTrack for you. For all its Thatcham credentials, the ScorpionTrack S5 VTS is also manufactured in the UK to the Police Preferred Specification.
It fights back against many of the latest threats including key cloning, OBD hacking and key theft. Thanks to its own dedicated smartphone app, you get all that power at the tip of your fingers.
SmarTrack Protector Pro
When it comes to vehicle security, one other way to go is to look at the most popular devices sold and follow that route. If that’s your plan, then the SmarTrack Protector Pro is one of the best selling systems in the UK. Not only does it offer great value-for-money, you get a wealth of features in a very small package.
It is one of the most rugged systems around, so is perfect if you’re looking for something for your motorhome or motorcycle. It comes with its own battery, so you don’t have to worry about it losing its power source.
Tracker S5 Plus
Finally, let’s look at the Tracker S5 Plus. This is one of the most feature-rich systems we sell and offers almost everything you could possibly need when it comes to vehicle security.
As it’s an S5 classified system, Thatcham’s highest criteria, it comes with the amazing Driver ID tags we mentioned earlier, but its killer feature is that it utilises a combination of 3 different signal technologies; VHF, GPS and GSM. With the rise of signal jammers by those looking to steal your car, the VHF technology makes it much more resilient to those.
The fact is, any one of these systems could quite easily be labelled as the best vehicle tracker. They are all incredible pieces of kit and will serve you very well indeed. At the end of the day, the best car tracker is the one that helps you secure your car and, should the worst happen, help you track it down and recover it. When that happens, it’s that feeling you’ll experience that’s really the best.
Whilst keyless entry systems have brought us a convenience for which many millions of car drivers are grateful, it also brings opportunity for car thieves to exploit the technology for their own nefarious needs. Even if your car doesn’t, or didn’t, come with keyless entry as standard, it is a feature that can be retrospectively added.
In just a few short years, car manufacturers saw the benefit of installing keyless entry systems because it removed the bulky locking barrel within the steering column. This saved them some cost in terms of materials, but also gave them a selling point because it increased the leg room for the driver and reduced the risk of leg injury in the case of an accident.
No sooner did it become standard amongst car manufacturers, car thieves were looking to find a way to utilise this technology for their own ends. It didn’t take long for them to make it work to their advantage when looking to covertly steal your vehicle. We wanted to look at how they do it and, more importantly, things you can do to help prevent it happening to you.
What is Relay Theft?
Firstly, let’s talk about what relay theft is. Relay theft, sometimes known as a relay attack or key hacking, relies on the fact that keyless systems have a fob or credit-card style ‘key’ that emits a signal that your car recognises. In normal circumstances, when your car receives that signal from the fob, it deactivates its security and gets the ignition system ready to start, effectively unlocking the car for you.
When this works perfectly, you get the convenience of remotely unlocking to save you scrambling around in your bag for your keys when your arms are full of shopping. Sadly, this technology can also be used by those looking to steal your car.
Relay theft occurs when two or more people work together to hijack that signal to gain access to your car or van. One of them standards next to the vehicle, whilst the other stands close to where your keys are located. It’s worth pointing out that this distance can be up to 100m, but generally, this means they will stand just outside your home, hoping that you keep your keys located near the front door, like most people do. It’s worth remembering that the signal easily passes through doors, windows, and even walls, so physical barriers aren’t a problem for them.
Once the thieves are in position, one uses a piece of equipment that tricks the key fob into broadcasting its signal, which normally happens when you press the button. The other person stands near the car with a receiver that picks up that signal. This is detected by the car which recognises the prompt, it’s using the signal from the ‘real’ set of keys remembers, and unlocks itself. The thieves then open the door, get in the car, press the ignition button, and drive away. Scary stuff, but how do you protect yourself from it?
Whilst it seems like a hi-tech crime (which it is to some degree), some of the ways you can protect yourself are pretty simple. You can always make sure your keys are stored in something called a Faraday case. This can be a bag, pouch or box that stops the key’s signal from escaping. It blocks all electronic signals in and out, so you’re keys and the fob will be safe from detection.
Other things you can do are good practice for any car; make sure it’s locked when you leave it and fit a physical deterrent (like a wheel lock or steering wheel lock) to the car. Relay theft is attractive because it takes almost zero physical effort. If the thieves have to brute force a wheel lock or wrestle with a mechanical device to get the car, it becomes less attractive for them.
Finally, you should invest in a car tracking device. Whilst it might not stop them stealing the car, it massively increases the chances of you getting it back, by up to 95% in many cases.
Car theft has always been a game of cat-and-mouse between the vehicle security systems and the thieves themselves, but taking some of this advice on-board and understanding the risks means that you get the upper hand and stay one step ahead.
As cars and their inherent technology have improved, advanced, and become far more sophisticated, it’s easy to think that car crime is a thing of the past. Sadly, that’s not the case and, in many cases, new technology, like keyless entry systems, has led to an increase in car crime. In fact, 2021 has the dubious honor of reporting the highest level of vehicle thefts for 4 years!
Whilst we’re not trying to scare you, we wanted to take a look at the UKs car crime hotspots so you can be aware of it and how you might be able to protect yourself and your vehicle from falling fowl of those looking to take what isn’t theirs, aka scumbags.
Before we get into the locations themselves, how were these places determined? Co-Op Insurance looked at the frequency of claims made by their policyholders over the last 5 years or so. By analysing that data, they drew up a list of, not only the places with the most claims, but also the cars that are attracting the wrong type of attention.
London on Top:
It’s probably no surprise that London and its boroughs hold the lion’s share of car theft in the UUK. In fact 9 of the top 10 car crime hotspots were all located in the nation’s capital. Obviously, London has a much denser population so more people naturally leads to more vehicles. Topping the list were Lambeth in South London, followed by the more affluent boroughs of Kensington & Chelsea and Ealing, both in West London.
Outside of London, although just a little bit, Watford filled out the Top 10 coming in 9th. Geographically, only one town in the Top 20 was located in the north of the country. That dubious honour fell to Preston in Lancashire, but it was surrounded by southern towns namely Slough in Berkshire, Southampton in Hampshire, Spelthorne in Surrey, and Stevenage in Hertfordshire all made the list.
Interestingly, Tracker, the vehicle tracking company, also analysed their data with regard to locations where cars were stolen, but also were recovered, and whilst London also topped that list, the West Midlands, Greater Manchester, Essex and Kent were also high on that list.
So those are the towns with the highest recorded car crimes, but what vehicles are the thieves targeting? You might think they would be targeting only high-end, luxury vehicles, but that’s not always the case.
The top two cars with a theft claim reported as a percentage of total theft claims were the Ford Fiesta and Ford Focus, followed by the Vauxhall Corsa and Astra, beating the VW Golf into 5th. From there on, that’s when the luxury car brands start to appear with the Range Rover Evoque, Land Rover Discovery, Audi A3, Mercedes C-Class and Audi A4 filling out the top 10.
When you remember that those cars topping the list are more likely to be the same makes and models that most of us we rely on everyday, it really starts to hit home at how close we are to being impacted by vehicle theft.
Incidentally, if you’re looking to move to somewhere with the lowest car crimes, find a house in mid-Devon, Denbighshire in Wales or Moray in Scotland.
Of course, no device is ever going to be 100% perfect in the fight against car thieves, but you can reduce that risk massively whilst also increasing the chances of recovering it, by investing in a car tracking device.
Where you have something cheap and cheerful for the commute to work or a top-of-the-range palace on wheels, you can find something to keep it where you left it in our store. You’re sure to find something to suit your budget and, no matter where you live, our team can come and install it for you.
If you own, or are planning to buy, almost any of the latest models of car, chances are it will have a keyless entry system fitted. It has become a standard feature on modern cars, regardless of where they’re made or how much they cost.
Keyless entry gives consumers a convenience that seemed impossible just a few short years ago. Cars have locks, locks need physical keys, that was how it had to be, but technology changed that paradigm.
Now the ‘key’ you need to unlock your car be an app on your smartphone, a digital fob or a credit-card sized piece of plastic you can keep in your pocket. Now the whole system is unlocked and the car powered up at the touch of a button.
As sophisticated and cutting-edge as the technology behind keyless entry systems has become, they’re not theft-proof and there is always a way for people to find its weakness and exploit the system to their gain. Let’s look at ways you can prevent keyless car theft and keep your car exactly where you left it.
There are three main ways that thieves can gain access to your keyless entry vehicle;
Signal Relaying;
Thieves using signal relaying use wireless transmitters that are placed close to your front door or window, or even the pocket or handbag of the driver, to capture the signal being emitted from the fob or keycard. This signal is then sent from the transmitter to the car which will recognise the signal as genuine and unlock. The same process is repeated to start the engine.
Signal Jamming;
This requires a device transmitting on the same frequency as the actual ‘key’ to block the signal that locks the car. The owner walks away thinking the car is secured, but the signal never reaches the car. This is often done in large car parks where the thieves will be waiting to pounce on cars where the driver thinks the car as been locked, and walks away none the wiser.
Key Programming;
Another feature of modern cars is the diagnostic port. Primarily these are designed for mechanics to simply and quickly connect to, so they can understand when there is a problem with the engine. Thieves have developed devices that can plug into those ports and recode parts of the car’s software to recognise one of their own key fobs as being genuine. Sounds complicated, but it can be done in a matter of seconds.
We appreciate these kind of attacks can sound scary, but there’re some easy things you can do to prevent them affecting you.
For all the technological advances that brought us keyless car theft, some of the ways to prevent them are pretty low-tech. Simple things like making sure the car is physically locked before walking away from it (not just relying on the flash of headlights) and applying the steering lock are still useful tools in your arsenal.
One of the easiest ways is to ensure that the place where you store your keys aren’t easily accessible. That means not storing them in a bowl or on a plate next to the door, or near a window that will invariably close to the car. Also, make sure these doors and windows themselves are locked. This will help to prevent signal relaying, especially if the signal the thieves need is as far away from the car as possible and stored in a Faraday bag. A Faraday bag stops the signal being emitted from your key fob from being captured, effectively blocking the signal thieves need to start the car.
Finally, think about where your vehicle is stored when you’re not driving it. If it’s on your drive, think about installing drive posts, wheel locks or wheel clamps on the car itself. These visual deterrents will make the thieves think twice.
Of course, should any of these things fail, it’s always a good idea to have a tracker fitted. Even if the worst happens and they take your vehicle, cars with a tracker fitted are recovered around 95% of the time. Those are odds that can really even up the field in the fight against car theft.
