Luxury cars have keyless entry and ignition systems now as standard. While they were introduced by motor manufacturers primarily for the convenience and safety of car owners, they have now become a liability.
Organised criminal gangs are increasingly targeting keyless cars as they can hack their associated electronic systems with relative ease, using electronic engineers to figure out how best to override electronic and ignition systems. Most thefts of expensive cars are done to order with specific export markets lined up for final delivery, usually within 24 hours of first being stolen.
As a modern luxury car contains over 50 computer systems and counting, expensive cars will be increasingly vulnerable to this type of technological theft. We asked the asset tracking service, CanTrack , for their advice on how best to protect keyless cars from theft.
Keyless Theft in the UK
London is a prime example of how luxury cars with keyless ignition systems are being targeted. Recently over 30 high-end luxury cars were stolen over a 10 day period in Hampstead and this comes after a more sustained period where up to 17 vehicles a day were being stolen in London before being shipped abroad.
The capital saw an overall rise of 8 percent in the number of car thefts to 21,869 cars stolen but the police have attributed this primarily to the increase in keyless car theft. Official statistics show that more than 6,000 cars and vans were stolen using a keyless technique in London last year.
And most of those cars stolen were luxury models. An annual list compiling the UK’s most stolen car models was dominated by prestige cars from manufacturers like BMW, Land Rover and Mercedes.
So what can be done to combat this technological threat to luxury cars in the UK?
Protect your Luxury Car with an Asset Tracker
The simple answer is use an asset tracking device in addition to any in-built GPS tracker that your car has. Luxury cars are no longer impregnable to professional criminals so if the worst comes to the worst and your car is stolen, you need to ensure that you can track it effectively for a quick recovery.
GPS won’t cut it for that task; its signal can easily be deflected by putting it in a metal container or hiding it in a metal shed. Or the GPS location signal can be blocked by a simple jamming device.
To make sure you get your luxury car back after a theft, you need an asset tracker that uses GSM and RF technologies to ensure a constant location signal and one that won’t be deflected by the tools of the criminal gangs. You also need an asset tracking device that can be easily hidden, deep in the innards of your expensive vehicle, to make it as hard as possible for a professional thief to find and disable.
If you can also find a car tracker service that provides software that will alert you to any unauthorised movement from your home location as well as have an investigating team on standby 24/7 to work for you on the ground, then you have indeed the perfect anti-theft antidote for criminals who target keyless luxury cars.
Stop Criminals in their Tracks with CanTrack
Check out the anti-theft qualities of a market-leading car tracker at CanTrack.com. CanTrack is the provider of the best asset tracking units and GPS fleet telematics solutions in the UK with over ten years of extensive experience and constant innovation.
