Winyates Green Residents Association

VEHICLE SECURITY

Nobody wants to experience the trauma and inconvenience of having their car (or van or motorbike) stolen, but the sad fact with car theft is that if some hairy-palmed lowlife really wants your car they will do whatever they can to take it. However the more difficult you can make it for them to do that the more likely they will give up and find an easier target.

Okay, I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you these first points, but there’s no harm in quickly noting them before continuing:

Always lock your vehicle when leaving it.
Even when on the driveway or nipping into the shop.

Don’t leave anything on view in the car.
A thief doesn’t care about a tatty work jacket – but they might break in to check the pockets.

Don’t keep anything valuable in the car.
Phones, Dash Cams and Sat Navs being the first that spring to mind.
But also don’t keep your V5 registration document in the glove box – or your driving licence.
All you need are your basic insurance contact details and maybe the car handbook.

Park in the safest and best lit spot you can – if possible!

At home, keep your keys in a safe place out of sight of both the front and back door.
Those lovely handcrafted ‘keys’ hooks kept near the front door are a gift for thieves.

Right, having stated the obvious, here are a few more tips and suggestions that might help keep your car a bit safer.

'Keyless' Car Thefts.

Modern ‘Keyless’ car thefts are becoming ever more prevalent, where the short range radio signal from the transmitter key fob is intercepted by one crook, who just needs to get within range of the signal – maybe just outside of a house window, the signal amplified and relayed to an accomplice near the car who can get in, start it up and drive away.

A simple solution is to buy a Faraday pouch or bag. These block the signal from the fob so that it can’t be intercepted and only cost around £5.

Just make sure you put all the car’s radio key fobs in one when not in use.

Physical Protection.

If you are of a certain age you will remember the good old ‘Krooklok’ that fitted around the steering wheel and brake pedal. Anyone glancing in can see the obvious deterrent, not that it would stop a determined thief for long – but it does delay them.

Nowadays there are many other more modern physical security devices that are even better and, as already mentioned, it is all about making life harder for the scumbags and getting them to move on.

The only downside is that these physical locks can be cumbersome and take up space storing them in the car when not in use.

A link to the recent Auto Express test of steering wheel locks is included here:
https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/product-group-tests/95031/best-steering-wheel-locks-20212022

Another device to consider especially if the car isn’t in regular use is an external wheel clamp. Or even two.
Though to be fair this is not something I’d consider if using the car every day as it would be too much hassle – especially in the rain.

Standard Deadlocks.

Most cars from the late-90s onwards have deadlocks as an extra layer of protection. These are a stage further than the normal door lock which can be persuaded to be opened by a ‘slim-jim’ – or the side glass be smashed and the thief reach in to open the door from the inside.

The deadlock prevents the door being opened unless the original key (or alarm fob) is used.

On some cars you have to turn the key in the door handle twice, or in a specific way or direction (it all depends on the car) for the deadlock to activate. Those cars with remote locking on a fob might need to have the lock button pressed twice. Either check in your car’s manual or try it on the car itself.

Okay, a determined car thief may have a decoder that can pick the lock and deactivate the deadlock within 20 seconds or so – but that is an extra 20 seconds delay.

It makes sense that if your car has deadlocks to use them – it costs nothing.

More modern vehicles (especially those with keyless entry) usually automatically deadlock 10 seconds after the main door locks shut so you don’t need to worry about activating it, but again check your manual.

VIN Etching.

This is where the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) is acid etched on every piece of glass on the car.

The purpose is to make the vehicle far more identifiable in the event it does get stolen, because to get rid of the evidence of the etched VIN the thieves would either have to replace all the glass (which it time consuming and not profitable) or blot it out with more etching (which should make any buyer suspicious). And if the car was stolen for spares it makes the glass useless to them.

With that in mind it would act as a deterrent if the car was being cased before being stolen and the etching noticed. For an opportunist thief at night it would make no difference. However Halfords quote statistics that cars with etched glass are 45% less likely to be stolen and 50% more likely to be recovered.

Incidentally Halfords offer window etching for £20 though DIY kits are also available, and there have been some insurance companies that have offered it for free in the past.

For the cost surely this has to be worth getting done?

GPS Trackers.

This is not so much a deterrent but an ‘after the event’ measure, as in if your car is actually stolen a GPS tracker could help it be located and recovered.

Due to their cost these used to be only worth putting on very high-end and hugely expensive vehicles, but times change and they have become a lot more affordable, from only £30 for some models. There can still be a monthly network charge with some of them, and this can range from around £2 up to £10, however plenty are what is known as sim-free and have no ongoing monthly cost.

There are also devices that will link with a phone and send alerts if the car is started or moved.

Again here’s a link to an Auto Express review of a selection of them:
https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/product-group-tests/108290/best-gps-trackers-2022

It is also worth noting that with a tracker fitted some car insurance providers offer a reduced premium, but check with them first as they may have specific requirements as to exactly what tracker is fitted, and if in doubt about how to fit one check with your trusted local garage for further advice.

The bottom line is if you have a car that is your pride and joy, that you would really want to recover, then get a tracker.

Lighting and Cameras.

Thieves prefer to work in the shadows so having a motion sensing light that comes on when anyone comes near the car is a good deterrent. Of course you need to have somewhere to mount the light on your property, and have some consideration for your neighbours as you don’t want a recreation of Stalag Luft III each time a hedgehog wanders past.

If able to position in a location that gets some sun during the day then there are a lot of decent solar lights available now from around £20 to £50. Mains powered floodlights are cheaper to buy initially but cost more to run and have to be wired in.

The natural progression from lighting is having cameras, though it often proves difficult to get any usable image of a thief as they pull down their hoodie and wear a mask. But there is no doubt cameras can be a deterrent.

Of course the best option would be to have a small in-car 360˚ camera that recorded and sent video to your phone if any movement was detected. Currently some of the more expensive Dash Cams can do this but I would not recommend leaving such an expensive bit of tempting kit in the car in any case. I have not found any cheap solution to this yet but no doubt the time will come.

You can get a window sticker warning that a security camera is fitted (even if there isn’t) which might be a bit of a deterrent, and for something like £2 there is no harm in trying it. Personally I have mixed feelings on this.