Vehicles are a necessity in our lives but there are a lot of issues that come with owning a car. Mundane problems such as maintenance schedules or tax appointments are some of the easier ones to handle, but security-related concerns are every vehicle owner’s nightmare. The number of vehicle thefts has surged over 150.000 across the UK in 2018-19, which is 56% higher compared to 2014-15. According to ABI (The Association of British Insurers), the cost of vehicle theft increased by 29% in 2017, a record-high, to £376 million which is roughly £1 million being paid every day for vehicle-related crimes.
While the vehicle theft statistics paint a grim picture, car owners aren’t completely helpless against the prolific criminals roaming the streets looking for their next target. Thieves aren’t the only people who can use technology to their benefit; Thatcham approved insurance tracking devices, as their name suggests, can protect your vehicles against all types of theft and tampering. With rigorously tested and certified security protocols, insurance trackers are proven to be one of the best vehicle security systems in the UK. 96% stolen vehicle recovery rate alone speaks for itself, but effective anti-theft measures such as 24/7 monitoring, driver identification system, key theft protection and various immobilisation options make insurance tracking systems better than any other solutions on the market.
Common sense goes a long way when it comes to protecting your vehicles against the opportunistic thieves and prying eyes. If you have to leave your car unattended in an unfamiliar area, here are some tips to make sure it stays safe until your arrival:
- Always park in a well-lit area.
- Keep your car locked at all times, even for shortstops.
- Keep your car keys away from windows and doors.
- Use a Faraday pouch to contain the signals emitted by your car keys.
- Choose your parking spots carefully and avoid dangerous neighbourhoods.
- Never leave valuable items in a visible spot in your car.
What Is Keyless Theft?
Keyless theft -also known as Relay Theft- can be considered as the main culprit behind the meteoric rise of vehicle thefts in the UK over the last five years. Passive keyless systems that are designed to improve the quality of lives for drivers are being exploited by criminals that use a device called “relay box”. Car thieves that use this method usually operate in pairs; while one of the criminals stay within the vicinity of the vehicle, the other thief captures the signal broadcasted by the car keys and relay it to the device near the vehicle. This causes the vehicle to think the keys are within range and unlock the vehicle doors and start the engine. All these events usually occur under a minute with thieves driving away with a brand-new vehicle.
Are Insurance Trackers Really Effective?
Preventing criminals from breaking into your vehicles can be challenging without the right tools. Thatcham trackers are designed to resist theft and tampering for a period of time and report any suspicious activity to the car owners as well as the alarm centre. As your primary defence against car thieves, Thatcham approved insurance trackers provide several powerful features that can help you fend off the criminals who target your vehicle. First of all, the vehicles that are fitted with an insurance tracker are under surveillance at all times. A car thief can’t even move one of these vehicles without setting off multiple alerts which will notify the experienced on-call teams. That is if they can manage to get past the driver identification system or auto immobilisation features. Given enough time, a skilled thief with the right tools may be able to get past the safeguards in place. However, upon confirmation with the car owner, the experienced on-call teams liaise with the local police agencies and stay in contact until they find the vehicle and return it to its rightful owner.
24 Hour Monitoring
All vehicles with a Thatcham tracker onboard are monitored by a fully qualified and dedicated response teams day and night. Even the most accomplished car thief can’t break into your car without triggering multiple alerts. Around the clock surveillance on your vehicles guarantees that any theft and tampering attempts will be detected immediately and appropriate actions will be taken.
Key Theft Protection
Relay theft can happen at any time, anywhere. Even stopping for a coffee may end up with you having your vehicle stolen, and that is precisely why you need a Thatcham tracker. Anti key cloning is one of the most effective tools against the tech-savvy thieves as it disables the car keys’ ability to start the engine without the correct security code.
Immobilisation
Car owners can opt-in for remote immobilisation feature with their purchase that allows the people with access to the tracking device to block the ignition module, making it impossible to start the engine again once it is stopped. Another powerful option, auto immobilisation, scans for the driver ID tags and doesn’t allow the vehicle to start if the driver tags are not present.
Driver Identification
Vehicle owners are issued with a pair of driver ID tags that prevent the engine from starting if the tracking system does not detect the ID tags. These small gadgets can be attached to your keychain and carried around easily.
Conclusion
Thatcham trackers are superior to any other GPS tracking system on the market that is designed to protect vehicles against theft. Not only will it be impossible for a thief to get away with your car, but you will also be able to enjoy the countless benefits that come with GPS technology and Thatcham security protocols. Vehicles owners can reduce their annual insurance payments by up to 20% with a certified insurance tracking system or create important event alerts to stay updated about their vehicles. Thatcham trackers have multiple anti-theft measures in their arsenal and offer the means to recover a vehicle if it ever gets stolen. Out of all the benefits that these advanced tracking systems offer, the stolen vehicle recovery methods that are proven to work time and time again as well as the multiple immobilisation capabilities make your vehicles impenetrable against the unrelenting car thieves.
