We look at what makes a car secure from criminals? Find out more about how to prevent car and vehicle theft in the UK. Find out how you can make your vehicle safer.

What Makes A Car Secure from Criminals?

Even though they have been around for a while, steering wheel locks are still a helpful security measure. All but the most determined criminal will feel disheartened if anything completely covers the wheel since it will be hard for them to depart. Theft of steering wheels and airbags, which is on the rise as criminals look for inexpensive auto parts to fix damaged vehicles, would also be prevented. Even though they may be used on RVs and older cars, they are expensive and hefty.

Even while some thieves break into cars using advanced technology, the more basic thief will still enter a car utilising the smash-and-grab method and take everything they want. One method to stop or slow them down is to laminate the glass on the side and rear windows. This plastic coating, which is invisible yet strengthens and keeps the panes together, is comparable to a laminated windscreen.

Since thieves are often camera-shy, CCTV may be a strong deterrent as well as aid in the identification and capture of criminals. To ensure that faces and registration numbers can be recognised, make sure that whatever system you choose includes infrared night vision and that it is set at the highest resolution you can afford. It's difficult and dangerous to sell a stolen automobile as-is, but it's quite simple and extremely rewarding for thieves to disassemble one for components. Even more advanced DNA Marking serves as a deterrent than straightforward window etching.

How to Prevent Car and Vehicle Theft:

Lock Your Vehicle

Locking your car considerably reduces the possibility that an opportunist thief will target it, even while it is parked on your drive or at the gas station. Even if your car is locked, double-check to make sure you haven't left any windows or the sunroof open. Running your automobile in subfreezing conditions to de-ice it or warm it up is really against the law. Since you won't be insured if it's left in this state, your insurance won't make up the difference if it is stolen.

Make careful you correctly secure your car if it has wing mirrors that automatically fold in when it's locked. Since it is obvious to them that the car has been left unlocked, criminal gangs are searching for cars like these where the wing mirrors are still in place.

Keep the Keys Safe

Vehicle theft is more difficult than ever unless the criminal has access to and can clone your key or fob. Keep your keys buried, out of sight, and away from your front door. It is not unusual for robbers to grab your car keys from inside your home by fishing for them through the letterbox with a stick and hook.

Be Aware of Carjackers

The fact that you're in the automobile isn't always enough to dissuade someone from stealing it. When driving in traffic, keep your doors closed and allow enough room in front of your car to get out of a tight place. If you are hit from behind, pull over somewhere safe and ideally where there are others. After all, you have no idea who has crashed with you; they may be hijackers.

Consider calling the police if you have any suspicions. If your vehicle is stolen, certain contemporary vehicle alarm and tracking systems may isolate or shut down fuel systems, putting the vehicle to a standstill and leaving the thief high and dry.

Park Responsibly

It is generally best to avoid parking in dark and isolated regions. It's worth the extra five or ten minutes walk if it means parking your car on a well-lit and busy street.

Watch for Illegal Tow Trucks

Thieves frequently attempt to practically pull automobiles from the roadway. So, if you witness a towaway team acting suspiciously, especially if their truck isn't labelled or they aren't in uniform, report it right away. Car parks with height-restricted entries aid in the prevention of unlawful tow trucks and removal vehicles; installing an alarm system with tracking, immobilisation, anti-grab, and movement sensors may assist safeguard and tracing your car.

Fit In-Car Security Locks

Keep in mind that factory-installed steering locks are not always secure. Many people can be pushed to their breaking point. Installing a steering wheel, gear lever, or clutch pedal security system may increase the safety of your vehicle.

Double-Check Electronic Locking

To lock your car, electrical gadgets can be used to jam the electronic signal from your key fob. Before walking away, always double-check that your car is locked. If you're not sure, manually lock it, then search the surrounding area for anyone who could be lurking. If a potential thief who is observing believes they have been discovered, they will most likely flee.

Check for Vehicle Cloning

Vehicle cloning, or changing a vehicle's identity, may be as easy as inserting stolen licence plates. When purchasing a car, always inspect the DVLA V5 paperwork and ensure that the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on the vehicle matches the document. Check more than one of the VINs, as well as the engine numbers on the car.

Secure Engine Management Diagnostic Ports

Many newer automobiles include engine management diagnostic ports, which may be used to unlock and start your vehicle. Consider installing a lockable cover if your car has this sort of port.

What is Keyless Car Theft?

Keyless auto theft is the theft of a vehicle without the use of the physical keyfob. The automobiles targeted had keyless entry and start systems, allowing the attacker to enter the vehicle and drive away. 

Keyless auto theft is easier and faster than you would think. An automobile may be taken in less than two minutes, according to police. The majority of these thefts included keyless access, which is a growing crime.

Keyless cars don't use typical metal keys; instead, entry and starting the engine are done using a digital fob, card, or smartphone app. If the digital key is recognised, all it takes to start the car is a button press. 

The act of a burglar entering and stealing your automobile without the original key fob or card is referred to as keyless auto theft. There are several strategies for doing this, but they all essentially include persuading the car that the digital key is being used.

How Does Keyless Car Theft Work?

A keyless fob has a transceiver that can broadcast and receive coded radio signals. The automobile and the key exchange these unique, encrypted signals to lock the doors when the key is out of range and unlock the doors when the key is within range. 

When burglars target a car, they can exploit keyless entry capabilities to gain entrance without actually possessing the key. One of the most popular methods of keyless auto theft may be carried out in less than two minutes, just outside your door. The theft is carried out by criminals using two devices.

The signal from your car key is first collected or amplified and then copied and delivered to another transmitter. This is possible even if your key is inside your home since the technology used by criminals stretches the signal from the key inside your home, fooling the automobile into believing it's close enough to unlock.

The vehicle may then be opened, started, and driven away using this transmitter, which then serves as an extra key (as long as the car also features a keyless start, which is when a car starts through a button rather than the physical turning of a key in the ignition). After being stolen, the vehicle could be exported, dismantled for parts, or resold using false paperwork.

How to Avoid Keyless Car Theft

Keyless auto theft may seem practically impossible to stop, but you may still take precautions to avoid it. If you haven't purchased your next vehicle yet, purchasing a vehicle without keyless entry is the simplest approach to prevent theft. However, it is more common to have it as a standard feature on automobiles; thus, that might or might not be a choice. If you're considering purchasing, inquire at the dealership or from the existing owner about the security of the keyless feature and whether the system can be turned off.

If you currently have a car with keyless entry and start, your top priority should be hiding the keys inside your home. Initially, keep the key far from windows and doors. The farther away the keys are from the outer walls, the better because thieves often have to attempt to "grab" the signal from outside.

Some metal boxes may work; metal-lined wallets known as faraday bags are signal-blocking pouches - put the key in the bag while you're standing next to the locked car to make sure it works. The doors must remain secured. The spare key that is kept in the house should be placed in the same bag.

Any further steps you take to make the automobile more difficult to steal will serve as a deterrent. Putting the car in a garage, installing a locked post on your driveway, and using steering wheel locks inside the car can all be beneficial. Consider fitting a tracking device if you own a high-end vehicle.