There were 108,542 motor vehicle thefts in England and Wales in 2021/22, a large increase when compared with the previous year. Keyless entry technology was developed to provide car owners with the convenience of being able to open and start their vehicle without needing to take the key out of their bag or pocket.
Don’t let thieves get an easy ride. Follow these 5 tips to protect your vehicle from thieves.
Disable keyless entry
Some wireless signals from key fobs can be turned off, although the process isn’t always obvious and can require a specific sequence of buttons to be pressed. The owner’s manual should provide details of how to disable your car’s keyless entry system if it’s possible. Alternatively, you can contact the manufacturer for more information.
Faraday cage box
A Faraday cage box uses layers of metallic material to block radio signals. If you put your key fob in one, it would prevent opportunistic car thieves from being able to successfully use relay devices. Placing your key fob into the cage box blocks signal to the car
Make sure you have your box near you at home, especially when you go to bed. Bringing the box along with you will make it less likely for thefts to find your key without disturbing you out of your sleep.
Ideally you should invest in two boxes, one for the keys and fobs you use on a daily basis and one for place all of your spares. Storage is somewhere inconvenience or somewhere that it would be hard to find if thefts enter your home. And it also means if you do ever get your car stolen you don’t have to pay for someone to make you a new key which is very expensive.
Faraday cage pouches
Modern cars with keyless entry and ignition systems can be at risk from theft using simple devices available online. This is where a Faraday pouch or bag comes in handy. No matter how good the anti-theft system of your vehicle is, if the signal can be replicated or amplified, your car could be stolen.
Like the faraday cage box, it protects your keyless fob by creating a shield so that radio signals are blocked. As long as the key isn’t stolen, then it’s almost impossible to start the car without being able to intercept the signal being transmitted by your smart key/fob. The pouch is perfect size for your handbag if you are out and about.
Physical barriers
If you are fortunate to have off street driving it would be a great idea to fix gates to your drive, this will. If you are planning on being away from your car for a few days, chain your gates shut, this will add another element of difficulty for the thefts. Another anti-theft idea would be to instal a Bollard, make sure you contact your council before doing this in case you need planning permission. If you have to park your car on the street, or somewhere not near to your car getting a steering wheel lock. Which is one of the simplest and most effective ways to improve your car’s security. There are also wheel locks which will make it impossible for thieves to steal your car unnoticed
Identification & Recovery
If you’re ever the unfortunate victim of car theft, adding a tracking device to your car can significantly improve the chances of recovery. A tracking device allows you to be notified when predefined conditions are breached, enabling quick action and providing valuable location information to assist authorities in finding your vehicle.
As well as live tracking and real-time locations, a GPS tracker that gives you a route history, which be ideal to give to the Police to help locate your car.
You can also invest in a Ring doorbell, it becomes a full security camera, able to capture motion-triggered clips, alert you, and store your clips in Alarm. Com’s cloud for later viewing.
