Despite being 1% of cars on the road, keyless cars are the most vulnerable when it comes to vehicle theft and police chiefs are warning owners of keyless cars to be vigilant.
According to LV= Insurers, the rise in keyless car technology is driving a significant increase in car theft. For the past four years, 'theft of' car claims has increased by 20%, with keyless car theft accounting for a greater amount of claims.
Tesla, BMW, Land Rover, Jaguar, Mercedes, Porsche, Audi and Lexus are increasingly affected by keyless theft and account for 48% of all 'theft of' vehicle claims.
Unfortunately, smarter cars have encouraged thieves to become smarter, especially when it comes to stealing keyless entry cars.
How are thieves stealing keyless cars?
Thieves are able to steal keyless cars through something known as relay theft, works using short-range radio waves. The key will transmit a signal which is then picked up by the receiver in your car.
This type of theft tricks your car into thinking that your keys are physically present.
Thieves, working in pairs or more, will target a car usually parked outside of a house.
One thief will stand close to your house with the device, which boosts the signal from your car keys. The other thief, standing close to your vehicle with a second device, will use the signal to then unlock your car.
The car has been easily fooled, thinking that the keys are nearby when they are not. To learn more about relay theft, read our article that talks more about keyless theft.
Protect your vehicle using simple steps
Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims has urged drivers to take simple steps to keep their vehicle safe: "Storing your keys in metal tins or protective pouches that block the devices criminals are using. A return to basics like making sure your car is locked is worthwhile too."
You can use other extra security measures to ensure your vehicle remains as secure as possible.
There are several different types of vehicle security and it is important to make sure you are purchasing the right ones: Trackers, steering wheel locks, signal blocking pouches for your car keys and immobilisers all offer various levels of protection for your vehicle.
Some key fobs can be switched off. Find out if yours can be switched off by reading your vehicle's manual and turn it off at night.
CAN-phantom's active approach to preventing keyless theft
With the rise of keyless cars, we developed the CAN-phantom with one mission in mind; to end the surge of vehicle theft, including relay theft.
Our aftermarket immobiliser prevents the vehicle's engine from starting until a PIN code has been entered. This means that even if the thief attempts to steal your vehicle by using relay theft, they will not be successful.
Lets stay one step ahead of the thieves and end the worryingly ever-increasing surge in vehicle theft.
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