Car crimes are up 30% in the UK in 2018

The past two years have seen a significant rise in car crimes across the UK.

The introduction of engine immobilisers and keyless technology initially had a very positive impact on car crime rates. However, it now appears thieves have developed more significant methods of bypassing the advanced anti-theft devices.

Software has been developed that allows thieves to break into vehicles through a laptop or signal jammer. Thieves are jamming the signal from your key fob to your vehicle by using a number of different devices.

These devices can be purchased from as little as £2 from the internet and come in many forms such as garage door openers and house light controllers/dimmers. Many of these devices act to block your key fobs when you attempt to lock your vehicle.

Thieves are able to block signals in whole areas such as car parks or streets by hiding these devices in bushes with a clothes peg activating the device for long periods of time and without the need for them to be in the vicinity.

In respect of keyless entry, if your fob is transmitting continuously, the distance between where the device is in your home and the pavement or driveway may be sufficient for a potential thief to copy the signal. Once copied, the thief can enter your car and steal it from the property within.

When managing car parking facilities at events, Minimal Risk employ highly vigilant security tactics to ensure the safety of all vehicles on site. British retailer Halfords has seen a rise in the sale of mechanical steering locks, a security device which gained prominence in the 1980s and 1990s before engine immobilisers were installed in vehicles. The British public is now having to refer back to the extremely effective security device to ensure their vehicles are safe.

For information on the services Minimal Risk Consultancy offer, please click here.
< Back to News