Vehicle crime makes up 19 per cent of all recorded crime in England and Wales according to the Home Office and in the period 2007-2008, there were 1.7million vehicle thefts. Car jacking continues to be a threat for drivers too with many criminals using weapons to threaten the physical well-being of drivers and take control of the car.
Here are our top tips:
Remove valuables from the car.........
Take your GPS navigation, car stereo and personal belongings out of a car. If you can`t take them with you, hide them in the boot or under the seats. Wipe
sucker marks off the windscreen and be wary of fitting sat nav brackets to the dashboard - there have been many reported cases of opportunist thieves breaking into vehicles on the
off-chance that the sat nav handset is hidden inside.
Keep doors locked.........
Lock your doors and close your windows when leaving your vehicle unattended and keep doors locked whilst driving. This stops thieves from grabbing your
personal belongings off your seat whilst you are waiting at traffic lights or stuck in a queue.
Never leave documents in a vehicle.........
Don`t store documents such as your driving licence and vehicle registration document in the vehicle.
Fit a tracker to performance or prestige models.........
Fitting a GPS vehicle tracker means that your vehicle will be tracked and recovered as soon as it triggers as stolen. It`s a worthwhile investment for
performance and prestige models and can earn you a discount off your insurance premiums too.
Use additional security devices as deterrents.........
Steering wheel locks are a good deterrent, as are gear-stick locks. Also use locking wheel nuts to prevent thieves targeting your alloy wheels.
Park with security in mind.........
Use a garage for overnight parking if possible, otherwise park in a well-lit area rather than in the shadows.
Registration etching.........
Have your registration etched into the windows and headlights making it more difficult for the car to be sold with false number plates.
What if your keys are lost or stolen?
Do not leave car keys by the front door of your home or by a window where they are easily reached by thieves. Thieves often use sticks to
reach for keys through a letterbox. Store them out of sight and never leave them in the ignition of a car.
If your car keys are lost or stolen, contact an auto locksmith. Lost car keys can be remanufactured and cut to code, but when required locks can be altered to different combinations to ensure the misplaced key cannot be
used to start the car. Immobilisers can also be reprogrammed. Some car insurance providers include key recovery services in their policies.