Car thieves are becoming more and more sophisticated, which means simply leaving your car keys out of sight isn’t enough any more. We’ve rounded up some of our top tips for keeping your vehicle safe in 2022.
1) Lock up and keep your keys safe
Yes, this is a very basic tip, but we all know how easy it is to forget to lock up when you’re rushing to get in and juggling a thousand things in your hands. That’s why you should always double check you’ve locked your car, so opportunistic thieves trying door handles don’t find that it’s their lucky day. It’s equally as important to keep your keys safely out of sight in the home, so thieves aren’t tempted to venture inside to take them.
2) Keep valuables out of sight
Again, this might seem obvious but sometimes it’s tempting to leave your laptop or phone on the passenger seat whilst you run into the shop. Make sure you put any technology (including SatNavs which can also be sold on by thieves) and other valuables in the boot or take them safely inside.
3) Park defensively
If you can park on a driveway or in a garage, great! Thieves don’t like having to come that close to your home, it gives them more chance of being caught. If you don’t have this option, try to park in a well-lit spot, as close to your home as possible. You should also park with your tires turned to the curb or between other cars, so that the thief would have to do some serious maneuvering to get out.
4) Invest in additional security for your car
There are some additional security features you can buy to make your car harder to steal, ranging from a good, old fashioned steering wheel lock, to the much more sophisticated car trackers we stock and install here at TrackerFit. You can read about these car security products below.
-
Steering wheel lock - old but gold, the steering wheel lockmeans that thieves struggle to steer your car properly. This makes it harder to get away and acts as a visual deterrent, as thieves generally want an easy job. However, this is only a basic level of protection, as it doesn’t protect your car against towing and can ultimately be removed by thieves with the know-how.
-
Car key signal blocker - you’ve probably heard of the growing trend of keyless car thefts, where thieves use technology to pick up the signal from key fobs inside your home to unlock your car. An easy way to tackle this is to purchase a signal blocking pouch to keep your car keys in.
-
Car immobiliser - immobilisers are a great way to protect your car against theft. Car immobilisers come with ID tags for the car owner and if the engine is started without the presence of an ID tag, the engine will automatically cut off and prevent thieves from driving off with it. This will protect your car against most thefts, but can’t prevent determined thieves from towing or rolling the car away.
-
Thatcham approved car tracker - car tracking systems are one of the best ways to protect your car. Whilst they don’t necessarily stop thieves from taking your car, they massively increase chances of recovering it. There are various systems available, with different levels of protection, but all car trackers come with two driver ID tags. If the engine is started without the presence of one of these ID tags, the control room is instantly alerted to a theft. Operators will then contact the police and provide them with a real time location of the car, making catching thieves much more likely.
We have a great range of Thatcham approved car trackers to choose from here at TrackerFit. Plus, when you purchase a car tracker with us, one of our expert installers will fit it in a discrete location hidden from thieves, at a time and place of your convenience.