Please note: The content of this article is only to advise you. Should to wish to implement any advice, you do so at your own risk. Please ensure you follow the law at all times.
The question of car security is one that over the years has been addressed by the motor manufacturers with the evolution of locking systems than started with the old FS/ FP single sided keys that could be replaced with a coin once the barrel was worn, up to the advent of unique keys and now keyless entry systems, which all have their own drawbacks. I have had the fun of greeting an employee sent 200 mile to visit me in his boss’ keyless truck, but as his boss forget to hand him the ‘proximity fob’ in his pocket…. it resulted in one immobilised crew-cab truck in my car park. Then there was the new Range Rover from JLR Spares Division that had an electrical fault that left the electric handbrake engaged in the auto transmission. It appears you have to take a piece of the transmission tunnel out to manually disengage a lever before you can even tow it away. We got stuck with that one for 4 hours.
Nowadays some criminals have intelligent electronic ‘key-fob scanners’, ‘master-keys’ and tracking device detectors that you can buy on eBay, to start your own vehicle stealing operation. As with any ‘professional operation’ these professional devices are more difficult to deal with and require costly investment in superior security systems counter measures such as high end additional immobilisers. As always, It is your choice about how much money you choose to spend to protect your property.
START WITH SMALL STEPS
Let’s start with awareness of any obvious lack of security:
- Park in safe, well lit places so parts or valuables cannot be easily taken.
- Do not leave keys unattended in the ignition, even for a moment.
- Do not leave keys where they can be easily grabbed.
- Always lock doors and boot even at petrol stations.
- Park with wheels turned to an angle and the steering lock engaged to stop a car been quietly wheeled away or winched onto a ‘recovery’ truck easily.
- Park nose first into car park spaces too, as it is far more difficult to reverse a car out than a straight-forward ‘point-and-go‘ getaway.
- Taking the pay-on-exit ticket away from the car with you is wiser than leaving it on view in the car for someone else to use.
- Fit an auxiliary security device and get into the habit of always using it.
- Fit wheel locks to valuable wheels (that’s most wheels!)
- Don’t leave the locking wheel nuts in the car cabin. Lock them away in the boot as you may need them if you get a puncture. Don’t leaave them in the house!
- Don’t leave valuables on show or in the vehicle, or overnight in the boot or back if you can’t afford to lose them.
Remember even basic security habits like this just make the opportunist thief’s decisions about which vehicle to steal steer them away from yours. Car security is basically about not making your vehicle an ‘easy prospect’.
The next set of articles will deal with basic car security protocols that I suggest you should be aware of and use every day.
