One vehicle will be stolen every five minutes in England and Wales by 2024, police data shows
This is Money spoke to a number of vehicle security experts to come up with a list of thirteen tips that all car owners should follow to best protect their engines.
We enlisted the help of Thatcham Research, AA president Edmund King and vehicle crime consultant Dr. Ken German – formerly chief technology officer at the Met Stolen Car Squad with a PhD in International Vehicle Crime – to compile the ultimate list of car security tips:
1. First of all, make sure your car is locked
This may seem obvious, but a large portion of thefts are the result of the car being left unlocked or criminals using signal jammers that stop your key fob from communicating with the car’s locks.
After using a key fob, drivers should always check that the vehicle is locked and the windows are open. Listen to the locking sound and look for the lights to flash and, if your car has them, the auto-folding door mirrors.
2. Do not run your car engine to defrost the windows
Freezing temperatures can tempt drivers to start the car’s engine to defrost or defrost the windows, then return to the indoor warmth until the windshield is clear.
It may sound obvious, but leaving a vehicle unattended poses a huge safety risk, even if it’s in your own driveway. In fact, it is illegal to do this, and your insurer is unlikely to pay out any damages if your car is stolen as a result.
Thieves will check for stationary cars that emit exhaust smoke or have door mirrors that are normally folded when locked but clearly are not.
3. Keep valuables out of sight
‘Out of sight, out of mind’. Remove all valuables from your vehicle to make it less of a target for opportunistic thieves.
4. Do you have an alarm and immobilizer?
Make sure your vehicle is equipped with a Thatcham certified alarm, immobilizer and tracking system. Some insurance policies require the fitting of a tracking device, so it is important that any associated subscriptions to monitoring services are maintained.
5. Mechanical security systems – such as a steering wheel lock – may seem old-fashioned, but they are a great deterrent
Steering wheel locks, gear clamps, wheel clamps and other traditional security systems can act as a strong visual deterrent against thieves.
6. Install a doorbell camera or CCTV in your home
Doorbell cameras and CCTV systems are becoming increasingly popular as a deterrent to car crime and to catch thieves.
Make sure you invest in a device with night vision mode and crisp HD resolution.
Motion-sensitive driveway lights can also be a strong deterrent.
7. If you have a garage, use it!
If you have a garage, try to ensure that there is enough space for your car, rather than using it as a storage space for all kinds of household junk.
If you have multiple vehicles, give almost priority to the garage for the one with the highest value – and as an extra precaution, park another car in front of the garage door.
And if you have electric garage doors, do not store the transponder in the vehicle, for example in the glove compartment. Victims subsequently discovered that this was the reason their property was burglarized.
8. Think about where and how you park at night
Most car thefts happen under the cloak of darkness, so this is the most important time to think about how safe your vehicle is.
If you do not have a garage but do have a driveway, always park tactically.
For example, if you have a large driveway, park the car sideways so that a thief has to maneuver it. If your driveway is smaller, park facing your house to increase the chance of being alerted when the lights come on. And park with the wheels fully locked to extend the time it takes criminals to escape. Even consider parking another, less desirable car in front (or behind) your vehicle to prevent it from being easily removed.
Those with a driveway can also purchase lockable barriers to restrict access – and experts advise that a car cover is often a deterrent due to the time it takes to remove one and looking suspicious to neighbors and passers-by.
If you don’t have parking, try to leave your car in a well-lit area – ideally with CCTV – and in a position that makes it difficult for a thief to move quickly.
Ken German tells us that some drivers are being extra inventive in their efforts to protect their cars. Some previous victims leave mannequins in the driver’s seat to deter unwanted visitors.
9. Check the accreditation of the repair center and body shop to prevent key cloning
If you need to leave your keys at a garage or bodyshop, you should check whether they have signed up to an accredited code of practice/professional standard, such as the Motor Ombudsman or the British Parking Association’s Park Mark scheme.
This should reduce your chances of falling victim to key cloning.
If you purchased your car second-hand with only one working key, go to an authorized repair center to have the missing key(s) removed and a spare key added as soon as possible.
10. Think of a dashcam or a car with theft reports
Dashcams have become increasingly popular in recent years, with drivers mainly using them to prove that they were not at fault for an accident.
They also act as a great deterrent against theft. This is because many of these devices also record suspicious activity around your car that is parked and in which you are not.
However, make sure you get one that uploads videos to cloud storage rather than just saving them to a memory stick in the dashcam – as you’ll lose this too if your car is stolen.
Some modern vehicles now offer a ‘parking mode’, which can also detect and record movements while parking. This can be used as evidence by your insurer and the police.
Many of these alerts are sent via a smartphone app, so make sure you have activated the feature and enabled notifications.
11. Always erase stored information from a car before selling it
Some vehicle apps and connected systems can grant access to the previous owner.
If the permissions remain active, make sure to clear all permissions and data associated with the previous owner.
12. ‘Locust’ thieves can strike twice
Nowadays there is a new wave of ‘locust thieves’ who strip cars while they are parked on the side of the road and even outside the owners’ homes.
Many people have woken up to find that their cars are missing wheels, hoods, grills and even doors, leaving them unable to drive. This is because these parts are becoming increasingly valuable since the pandemic with factory closures and delays, meaning some components are not as easily available from manufacturers as they were pre-Covid.
For example, a Porsche headlight can now be worth up to £1,000, which has led to a rise in the number of stolen parts. Exterior mirrors for high-end vehicles are also easy-to-steal high-quality components.
Ken German warns that falling victim to locust thieves may not be the end of the story. He says owners who have had parts stolen from their car should look around and under the vehicle to make sure thieves haven’t fitted a tracking device, so they can track when the engine is not in use and return at a later time to try to steal it.
13. Be aware of scam tactics used to steal cars
Although carjacking still occurs today, it is not as common in Britain as in some other countries such as South Africa.
That said, if you are in an expensive vehicle, you would be wise to drive with the doors locked in traffic.
Also, drive defensively when queuing so that there is enough room for you to get out of a tight spot if you need to.
If your vehicle is hit from behind, wait until you pull over and find a safe place where there are people. If you are suspicious, do not open the door and call the police.