According to DVLA – Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, a staggering number of 74769 vehicles were reported stolen in 2020 – 20.000 more compared to 2019. An average of 200 vehicles was targeted by criminals every day, roughly one vehicle every 7 minutes. Unfortunately for car owners, even a global pandemic hasn’t slowed down the prolific criminals roaming the UK’s streets. The sharp increase in vehicle theft over the last six years is mainly contributed to the security vulnerabilities in the keyless entry systems designed for newer vehicles.
Tech-savvy car thieves quickly devised a way to exploit the weaknesses in these sophisticated systems to break into and drive away with brand-new vehicles from prestigious brands such as Mercedes, BMW, Audi, and Range Rover.
While the statistics and the security flaws in vehicles paint a grim picture, there are precautions car owners can take to protect their pride and joy against the relentless car thieves. The technological developments in GPS paved the way for high-end vehicle tracking systems that can ensure vehicles’ safety against all types of theft and tampering.
IMAGE: PEXELS
Armed with Thatcham security protocols, these advanced vehicle tracking devices – also called insurance-approved GPS trackers – offer the highest level of security available for vehicle owners in the United Kingdom. Let’s take a look at the advantages of these powerful gadgets and how they help alleviate car owners’ fears.
Security Benefits of Insurance Trackers
– Alarm Centre: Vehicles with an insurance tracker onboard are under constant surveillance by an alarm center. Experienced on-call teams at the alarm center are always on the lookout for any signs of unusual activity, offering owners a sense of security against break-in and theft attempts.
– Event Alerts: Insurance trackers can be configured to trigger an alert if an unauthorized movement is detected or an intruder tries to break into a vehicle. Sensors onboard an insurance tracking device can detect any signs of tampering and notify the car owners and the alarm center about the ongoing theft attempt immediately.
– Driver Identification System: Vehicle owners are provided with a pair of ID tags upon their purchase. If the tracking device onboard a vehicle can’t detect the ID tags within the vehicle upon ignition, it will trigger an alert and notify the alarm center about the unauthorized vehicle use.
– Vehicle Immobilisation: Insurance trackers offer car owners the ability to immobilize their vehicles remotely if their vehicles are targeted and stolen. Local police forces can quickly trace the immobilized vehicle’s location and return it to its rightful owners. As one of these high-end tracking systems’ main features, auto immobilization is another effective security measure that prevents a vehicle from being started if the driver ID tags aren’t detected.
Stolen Vehicle Recovery – How Does It Work?
While built-in vehicle security measures have been improving over the years, they are not enough to stop the adept criminals of today. Given enough time, an experienced car thief can manage to get past the safeguards on any vehicle and drive away with it.
Waking up to an empty garage or driveway is the worst nightmare for every car owner. Insurance-approved GPS trackers are equipped with all the necessary tools to recover a stolen vehicle quickly and safely.
As soon as a theft attempt is detected by the vehicle, the dedicated response teams at the monitoring center contact the vehicle owner to confirm if theft is taking place. Upon confirmation, the alarm center will trigger a level 1 police response and stay in contact with the police forces until they recover the stolen vehicle.
Conclusion
Car theft is a real threat, regardless of the type of vehicle you own. Criminals prefer high-value vehicles such as Range Rover, BMW, and Mercedes due to their high resale value and expensive parts. When you look at the number of cars stolen on the UK roads, the Range Rover models are in the lead with seven of every 1000 stolen vehicles, followed by BMW X5 and Mercedes- Benz GLC.
Expensive vehicles can be a challenge to own and maintain, but Thatcham-approved tracking devices can give you peace of mind with their powerful safeguards and stolen vehicle recovery methods.
With all the benefits of GPS tracking technology, Thatcham security protocols, and insurance benefits, insurance trackers can keep your vehicles safe against theft while providing you with the best insurance rates on the market.
If you are interested in even more technology-related articles and information from us here at Bit Rebels, then we have a lot to choose from.
COMMENTS