Car owners must help keep car theft plummeting
Last week’s victory proclamation over car crime could be premature, according to Tracker.
Car theft has declined dramatically by two thirds in the last seven years thanks to advances in security systems, but Stuart Chapman, Head of the Police Relationship Team at vehicle tracking specialists Tracker, has urged motorists and car owners not to become complacent.
“People don’t realise how easy it is for jammers to be bought online for as little as £20 and that these are actively being used to get the better of police,” Mr Chapman warned.
“Thankfully, all of the 52 police forces across the UK use Tracker’s stolen vehicle recovery system, which has been designed to overcome jamming, to detect stolen cars.
“However, motorists need to be aware that if they have installed a tracking device that relies on GPS alone it will not protect them from this type of activity.”
Sophisticated theft
Figures released by the Home Office show that 107,000 cars were stolen last year, down from 119,000 in 2009.
Despite this, Andrew Miller, Director of Research at motor insurance repair research centre, Thatcham, said it was now time for the motorist to help drive down those vehicle theft figures even further as thieves adopt increasingly sophisticated methods to overcome the barriers put in place by manufacturers and savvy car owners.
As most cars can not be stolen without the actual key, Mr Chapman encouraged motorists to take better care of their keys.
“Stealing a car using the owner’s key remains the most common method of vehicle theft today,” he added. “As such we urge people to think about keeping their car keys safe at all times.
“What’s more, installing a security device, such as a tracking unit, significantly increases the likelihood of a vehicle being recovered, as well as potentially leading police to make an arrest.”
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