Near-50% Rise In Thefts Suggests Cars Are Getting Less Secure

Keyless entry may be convenient, but new figures suggest that it’s at least partly to blame for a huge rise in car thefts recently
Near-50% Rise In Thefts Suggests Cars Are Getting Less Secure

Newly revealed figures have detailed a huge rise in car thefts in the UK over the last five years, coinciding with the mass adoption of keyless car entry and start.

Some 48.7 per cent more cars were reported stolen in the most recent year on record versus the one five years previous. In the British 2017-18 financial year, which runs from 6 April to 5 April the following year, 111,999 cars were reported stolen compared to 75,308 in 2013-14.

Near-50% Rise In Thefts Suggests Cars Are Getting Less Secure

The latest numbers equate to one car being stolen every five minutes. Recent years have seen a vast rise in the number of cars equipped with keyless systems that can be exploited with simple ‘relay theft’ technology, allowing the cars to be driven away without causing any damage to them. They can then be stripped and sold for valuable parts around Europe.

The RAC’s insurance director, Mark Godfrey, is quoted as saying the figures were “very disappointing.” He added:

“[This is a] depressing picture of a society where it is all too easy for gangs of thieves to break in and steal vehicles.”

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Relay theft usually involves a pair of thieves, one of whom stands by a house’s front door with a transceiver that locates the proximity signal from the car’s actual key. The second simply stands by the car with another device that relays the signal again, fooling the car into thinking the genuine key is nearby. The door opens obligingly.

The same process allows the car to start, after which it can be driven away to wherever it’s being stripped, or, more usually, an enclosed box van or truck nearby that hides the stolen car from number plate recognition cameras and keeps the location of its final destination - and the journey route - secret.

The best way to prevent the theft is to keep the key in a central location in the house, well away from outer walls, or inside a signal-blocking wallet or box.

Research carried out by Auto Express found that less than half of the vehicles reported as stolen are recovered. Secure your ride, people!

Comments

Anonymous

ffs Matt the General community is attacked

01/25/2019 - 12:32 |
16 | 1
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

They also attacked the off topic!

01/25/2019 - 13:24 |
7 | 0
Anonymous

That Moment when you are making posts about car thefts while your website is getting stolen by bots

01/25/2019 - 12:38 |
56 | 1
Erich Mohrmann

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Again???? What a great team we have behind this platform, really makes you think

01/25/2019 - 12:57 |
6 | 2
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Null

01/25/2019 - 22:54 |
2 | 0
Danny S

I wonder what’s more secure these days; a 40 year old Toyota with basic security measures or a brand new Merc?

01/25/2019 - 13:03 |
5 | 0

None.

For one you can get a relay, for the other, just good old fashion theft.

01/25/2019 - 13:18 |
5 | 0

The Toyota, because you either have a mint condition classics that is locked away in a temperature controlled garage or you have lumps of rust boxes that no one is bothered to touch.

01/25/2019 - 14:24 |
6 | 0

The Mercedes, despite the keyless go garbage. If you want to break into the Mercedes, you need at least some knowledge on how to fake the keyfob signal. If you want to break into a 40 year old Toyota, you just need to pull a bit harder than usual on the door handle.

01/25/2019 - 14:29 |
5 | 0
HF_Martini6

In reply to by Danny S

I’d say a Italian Car from the 1980’s or 90’s as they usually wouldn’t run even if you were the owner and had the propper Key and everything (i know, i had a couple of Lancia’s, Fiat’s and Alfa’s)

01/26/2019 - 11:10 |
1 | 0
Anonymous

Please help,Matt…… This website is attacked by bots.Again

01/25/2019 - 13:22 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

They even invading another community too

01/25/2019 - 13:23 |
0 | 0
Martin Burns

Are we sure it has everything to do with cars being less secure or is it that criminals are increasingly privy to their privileges?

…. I’m just saying, from across the pond where this sort of petty crime is rare it seems like I see a lot of cases of some wannabethug getting his teeth rightly removed by a homeowner defending themselves/ their property then spinning around and pressing charge on the homeowner for assault or the likes. If people can’t protect themselves (to make NO mention of boomsticks) then of course opportunistic criminals will take the free pass.

… dunno just my two cents… and not to say these things DON’T happen here cuz they do… among many many other issues we really shouldn’t have to be dealing with/talking about because it’s just ridiculous….

01/25/2019 - 13:51 |
1 | 1
prizrak

If there were only some sort of a device that had to be physically in the car that could be used to start it…

01/25/2019 - 14:14 |
10 | 0
TheDriver 1

Because everything has become so damn complicated!

01/25/2019 - 14:24 |
0 | 0
Twopoint0

Most “technological advancements” in cars that are being made today are nothing but drawbacks and further complicate the use of an object that was originally so simple

Keep your start-stopp systems, automatic door locks, keyless entry, we don’t need it if we’re realistic

01/25/2019 - 14:29 |
10 | 0
Anonymous

So, don’t hang your keys next to the door

01/25/2019 - 19:09 |
0 | 0
Auto Electrica

Worst thing is the relay boxes are easy to build and if you dont fancy building one unfortunately you can buy them online!

01/25/2019 - 19:17 |
0 | 0

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