In 2021, almost 48,500 cars were stolen. Whilst this is still high, it is significantly lower than pre-pandemic levels, with over 58,000 cars stolen in 2019 alone! So why the decrease? It’s simple, better anti-theft technology. That includes home security cameras, car immobilisers and, of course, car trackers. Find out more about our best anti-theft car trackers below.
Keyless Car Thefts
Whilst car thefts as a whole have declined, thieves continue to develop more sophisticated techniques to target premium cars. The Ford Fiesta retains its (unwanted) crown as the UK’s most stolen car, but luxury models like Range Rover, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and the Land Rover Discovery are all in the top 10 most stolen cars. Keyless car theft has played a big role in this.
Keyless car theft is when thieves use a relay device to hijack the signal from a wireless car key and unlock the car. This means that thieves can steal the car quickly and quietly, without needing any keys. So how do you protect your car against keyless car theft?
Category S5 car trackers are the best anti-theft car trackers and are particularly effective against keyless car theft. This is because category S5 car trackers include a driver identification device, which must be present when the car is started or the 24-hour security centre will detect a theft. Operatives will then alert police and provide vehicle details, giving you the best chance of recovering your vehicle. That means even if thieves steal your keys or attempt keyless car theft, the car tracker will still alert to a theft.
Category S5 Car Trackers
Here are some of our best Category S5 car trackers:
Meta Trak S5 VTS
The Meta Trak S5 VTS comes with 2 ADR tags (driver identification devices) which is perfect for drivers who share their car with a partner or are prone to misplacing things. Meta Trak’s 24-hour control centre will monitor the vehicle’s location and look out for thefts. You can also monitor the vehicle’s location via an app and access journey historys and other useful data. There’s also an option to add on an immobiliser for £125.
Vodafone Protect & Connect S5 VTS
This Thatcham approved category S5 car tracker comes with a discrete, pocket-sized ADR card. If the vehicle is started without the presence of this ADR card, Vodafone’s 24-hour control centre will immediately alert to a theft and contact the police.
Tracker S5 Plus
This car tracker uses a combination of VHF, GSM and GPS signals to provide the best chance of recovering your vehicle. GSM and GPS provide the location of the vehicle on computer-based maps, but can be jammed or lost. If GSM and GPS signal is lost, police will use Tracker’s unique VHF (very high frequency) to locate the vehicle. VHF can even be tracked in underground car parks and shipping containers.
Preventative Immobilisation Option
Whilst car trackers give you the best chance of recovering your vehicle if stolen, a lot of car owners want to prevent theft. Car trackers with a built-in immobiliser do just this.
Car trackers with a built-in immobiliser provide an extra layer of protection, as they prevent the engine from starting without authorisation via an app or other device. Immobilisation can be automatic or remote. Automatic immobilisation comes on as soon as you turn off the engine. That means that even if thieves steal your keys, they won’t be able to start your car. Remote immobilisation, on the other hand, can be activated remotely if your car is stolen - quite literally stopping thieves in their tracks.
This combination of a car tracker and immobiliser provides the ultimate protection for your car. The immobiliser should prevent theft, whilst the tracker provides the best chance of recovery if it is stolen.
Category S5 Car Trackers With Immobilisers
Here are our best car trackers with immobilisers:
SmarTrack 5+ with D-iD (Including remote immobilisation)
SmarTrack’s innovative technology uses your smartphone with the D-iD app installed as your driver identification device. Many drivers find this more convenient than using cards or key fobs, which can easily be lost. If anyone tries to start your car without your smartphone in the vehicle, the secure control centre will alert to a theft and will activate the remote immobilisation.
Meta Trak S5 Deadlock
The Meta Trak S5 Deadlock is one of our best anti-theft car trackers. It comes with an app where you can track the vehicle’s location, access journey data and arm and disarm the immobiliser. This puts you in complete control - and it’s monitored by a 24-hour security centre, so you don’t have to worry about missing anything. It also comes with a driver identification tag, so thefts can be detected immediately, giving you the option of remote immobilisation.
ScorpionTrack DRIVER S5-VTS
This Thatcham approved category S5 car tracker uses a combination of GPS, GSM, GLONASS and Galileo signals to provide reliable trackability. It comes with 2 driver identification tags, which must be present when the engine is started or the system will alert to theft. There is also the option to include an immobiliser. You can choose between automatic and remote immobilisation, which will be activated by the Scorpion team in the event of a theft.