At the end of 2020, there were over 400,000 Range Rovers registered and on the roads in the UK. As a car, it’s one that has only gained in stature in recent years. and become quite the status symbol.
Rather than the ‘box on wheels’ image it once had in the 1970s, this luxury SUV has gradually transformed itself and become an icon of our roads the world over.
Because it’s so highly sought after, car thieves want it as much as the rest of us, and that’s not a good combination. If you’re driving one of these incredible vehicles and want to know how to protect it from theft, then you’re in the right place.
RANGE ROVER SECURITY TIPS
The best ways to securing your Range Rover will vary depending on which model you have and on the age of your vehicle.
The later Range Rover models, like the Evoque and Sport, are much more technologically advanced in terms of their security systems compared to many of the older models, but that’s not to say older models aren’t attractive to thieves.
In fact, the older Defender model is often high on a thieves wish list as it’s relatively easy to steal due to it’s age and specification.
It might sound obvious, but many of the most successful ways to secure your Range Rover, regardless of the model, is to observe some basic security fundamentals.
When leaving your vehicle, make sure it’s locked at all times (even when you’re driving it). Thanks to features like keyless entry and remote locking, many people still often forget to lock their car when leaving it alone.
Often key fobs need to be directed at the car to lock it and many people don’t do that. When leaving your vehicle unattended, always physically double check that it’s locked and secure.
If you’re leaving it alone for any period of time, always try to park in a well-lit space, populated areas and, ideally, one protected by security cameras. Thieves love dark corners and out-of-the-way car parks, so don’t give them any more opportunities to steal your car.
TELETRAC TRACKSTAR S5
Of course it should come as no surprise to you that one of the best defences against Range Rover theft is with a vehicle tracker. If you’re looking for one that is approved by Range Rover themselves, then the Teletrac Trackstar S5 is one to take notice of.
This incredible S5 tracker is insurance-approved and comes with Thatcham’s highest rating so you know it’s going to deliver on every feature you want.
As well as the standard alerts and notifications you’d expect like battery disconnect, motion and low battery, thanks to its dedicated smartphone app, 24/7 Control Centre and Driver ID tags, this tracker gives you the protection few other trackers can match.
The Driver ID tags themselves are an amazing piece of kit. These small technological marvels only allow the car to be started and driven away when they are in close proximity to the car. In other words, when you’re close by.
At the time of writing, we’re also running a FREE subscription offer on this particular tracker when you purchase either a 1 or 3 year subscription, so get in touch to take advantage of this great deal.
A CUT ABOVE
For all the built-in and additional technology keeping your Range Rover secure, thieves are also using cutting-edge technology of their own, but that may not mean what you think it does.
Increasingly, thieves are learning that if they cut a square hole in the plastic boot lid of a standard Range Rover, then they can access the wiring and hack into the onboard computer.
All the more reason to make sure you are fully protected with a tracker that will add another level of security to these fantastic cars and help you keep it just where YOU want it.
⚬ If you need any advice on the best trackers to secure your Range Rover, get in touch with us. We have loads of options to choose from.
⚬ Whilst some of the best deterents to help secure your vehicle are easy to use and cheap to obtain, they can only do so much.
⚬ Whether you drive a Range Rover or not, don’t become another victim of car crime. We can help.
You don’t need to drive a Range Rover to be serious about car security. Speak to our team, who are available from 9 am – 6 pm, Monday to Friday, on 0330 043 3993 and we can advise you on the best tracker for you and your car, bike, motorhome or van.
We recently started a series of blogs looking at the top ten car crime hotspots in the UK. If you missed them, you can take a look at the ones we did for Leicester and Slough. Those were based on figures released in 2021, but in the meantime, the latest statistics including those for the first half of 2022 have been released.
If you live in Leicester or Slough, there’s good news….. and bad. Leicester has dropped from #1 to #7 and Slough has disappeared from the Top 10 entirely. Sadly, these lists still exist because car crime is still virulent in the UK and for those of you living in South London, specifically Croydon, it’s time to take a serious look at your vehicle security.
In a survey released by insurance giant Direct Line using their wealth of national claim data, they have identified Croydon as the number one in UK’s car crime hotspot chart. The list doesn’t just include thefts of vehicles, but also vehicle crime as a proportion of all crime reported and vehicle crime per 1000 people to give an overall outlook of the nation as a whole.
BIG CITY. BIG PROBLEM.
It’s probably no great surprise that the areas of London would feature highly in any list like this. Croydon in the south of the city, which topped the list, recorded over 6005 car crimes in one year, that’s over 16 car crimes reported every single day for a year! When you look at the big picture, even taking London as a whole, there are 113 car crimes for every 10,000 people.
Nearly 10% of all crimes recorded in the capital involved a vehicle. In other words, it recorded more than 321,000 crimes over the past three years, or 293 every single day!
CAR THIEVES BECOME MORE BRAZEN
With this explosion in car theft, you might be thinking that you only need to look at how to secure your vehicle at night, but you’d be wrong. This, and many other pieces of research, all point to the fact that thieves are becoming more brazen in their attempt to steal your vehicle.
If you analyse the data, you’d see that most vehicles are targeted whilst parked outside their owner’s home. That could be on the road outside or even on a private driveway. They accounted for 27% and 39% respectively. Back in 2009/10, car crimes committed during the day only accounted for 19% of those crimes. A decade or so later on, it’s now over 35%, but there is something you can do to fight back.
Many Police chiefs warn that thieves are exploiting keyless entry systems, especially as that technology becomes more common in our cars, bikes and motorhomes.
DON’T BECOME A VICTIM OF CAR CRIME.
For all the doom and gloom these studies might illustrate, there are things you can do to protect yourself. Some of the most effective solutions to keep your vehicle safe are things that don’t cost you anything. Keeping your vehicle secured behind a locked garage door or gate, stored / parked in a well-lit area, particularly at night, will go a long way to helping keep it safe.
In an effort to counter-act the threat from keyless entry theft there are also some simple measures you can take. Store your keys away from your front door and, if possible, keep them in a Faraday case (or bag) to prevent the signal from being duplicated when not in use.
If you’re wanting to take your levels of security to the next level, then a car tracker is exactly what you need. Here at Infiniti, we have a huge range of vehicle trackers that suit everyone, regardless of where you live, what vehicle you drive or what price point you’re looking at.
We stock a huge range of S5 and S7 trackers from all the leading manufacturers like SmarTrack, ScorpionTrack, MetaTrak and Tracker.
By buying from Infiniti Tracking you get:
⚬ An incredible system installed at your convenience, anywhere in the UK.
⚬ A dedicated team of experts to help you choose the right system for your requirements.
⚬ Peace of mind to know your pride and joy will be protected should the worst happen.
Whether you live in Croydon, Greater London or anywhere else in the UK, we have a solution that will help keep your car secure. Our huge range of car trackers has something for everyone and all are available to be installed anywhere in the UK. Just give our team a call from Monday to Friday (9am-6pm) on 0330 043 3993 and we’ll get you booked in. Don’t wait until you’re a victim of car crime before taking action!
It’s fair to say, no matter what aspect of life you’re looking at, the technology we use every day has come a long way in a relatively short period of time. This is especially true when it comes to car security.
Whilst the old-school security measures of steering wheel locks, gearstick brackets or wheel boots were once de-rigour for every motorist wanting to protect their vehicle, the high-tech world we live in means that they simply aren’t enough on their own anymore against a determined car thief.
The most up-to-date cars possess technology that enhances the driving experience that would seem like witchcraft just a couple of decades ago. With every ground-breaking automotive advancement we make, the cat-and-mouse nature of security means that there’s always a workaround or loophole they can exploit.
Nothing exemplifies this more than the car tracker.
HOW TRACKING SIGNALS WORK
Vehicle trackers, like every other product on the market, come with a variety of features that their manufacturer hopes will make their product stand out in an ever-more crowded marketplace. Dedicated smartphone apps, control centre support and notifications are commonplace but they also share the need for a signal/connection to make these features a reality.
Depending on which tracking system you buy, it will be able to operate using one, or more, frequencies to help triangulate its position, by working out how long the signal takes to be sent, received and returned by different satellites in orbit above the Earth.
WHAT FREQUENCIES ARE UTILISED
Across the range of vehicle trackers we sell here at Infiniti, if you look at the specifications of many of them, you’ll see that all of them will use GPS (Global Positioning System). GPS is just one frequency on which their signal is broadcast. Think of it as the baseline.
All GPS satellites broadcast on at least two carrier frequencies. These are ‘L1’ which operates at 1575.42 MHz and ‘L2’ at 1227.6 MHz. It’s also worth noting that newer GPS satellites also broadcast on L5 at 1176 MHz. Unfortunately, these frequencies can be blocked with the right equipment.
Ideally, you want a tracker that doesn’t just rely on one signal, but instead can harness the power, and therefore reliability and accuracy, of multiple networks. Even if one if blocked, the others will still work.
These can include GLONASS, Galileo, LBS, GSM and VHF. All of which can, given the right tools, still be blocked, with the exception of the final one; VHF or Very High Frequency. The reason it can’t be blocked is simply that it’s undetectable. It’s for that reason it’s the signal chosen by military operations across the world.
WHAT DOES INSURANCE-APPROVED MEAN?
If, as part of your car insurance policy, the company has asked for the vehicle in question to have an ‘insurance approved’ tracking system installed, then it can be confusing as to what this actually means. In reality, it often means that the tracker they require installing needs to detect any tampering.
This is often standard and can easily be measured thanks to its dedicated smartphone app. This will help monitor and alert you to any attempts to tamper with the vehicle. Whilst the reality is that GPS or GSM signals can be blocked, devices like the Protect and Connect S5 from Vodafone Automotive or the S5+ and Locate systems from Tracker can alert you when there is an attempt to block those signals.
With every system sold by Infiniti Tracking you will:
⚬ Find professional, courteous help and advice to find the right tracking for you.
⚬ Be sure to have your device fitted wherever you are in the UK by our team of dedicated trained engineers.
⚬ Get peace of mind that you’re dealing with experts in the industry.
Whilst the sheer range of products on offer can be daunting, we are here to help you find the right system for you. We know how much you value your car and we respect that it can be daunting to find the right one, so our team are available to you from 9 am – 6 pm, Monday to Friday on 0330 043 3993 to help, so just ask!
If you’ve read one of our previous blogs discussing the Top 10 Cities for car crime, then you might have been surprised that Leicester was number one. You might conclude that you’re safe if you live in the south but sadly, you’re out of luck. Slough in Berkshire was number two on the list! If you thought living down the road from the Queen would keep your vehicle safe, think again.
Between May 2021 and April 2022, statistics from the Home Office showed that there were a massive 5138 car crimes reported across Berkshire, including the key county towns of Slough, Reading, Chalvey and Upton. Despite the advances in car security, it seems that the equipment you get as standard, even in brand new cars, isn’t enough to keep your car out of their thieving hands.
HOW THIEVES STEAL YOUR CAR
As technology within even the most modest family car gets more and more advanced, so do the techniques thieves use to whisk your pride and joy away from you. You don’t have to live in any of the Top 10 areas for car crime to become a victim of it.
Many of the basic techniques you can use to prevent yourself from being a victim of car crime are still just as relevant today as they ever were. Make sure your vehicle’s doors are securely locked and that the windows and sunroof, if you have one, are also firmly shut.
Even if they don’t steal the car itself, many crimes involve the theft of registration plates, so make sure you have tamper-resistant screws fitted. If your car has alloy wheels, ensure you also have locking wheel nuts installed.
BEWARE THE RELAY ATTACK
As we mentioned earlier, the advances in car security have also given rise to a speight of car theft that uses cutting-edge technology to get around even the most sophisticated systems. This is where things like keyless entry have become the go-to tactic for many thieves.
Keyless entry theft, sometimes referred to as a relay attack, relies on the key fobs that many modern cars utilise instead of a physical key that goes into an ignition.
Using their own pieces of technology, thieves will position themselves between your key and car, usually by standing just outside your front door, and hijack the legitimate signal emitted from your fob, relaying the signal to your car, so it opens up and even allows itself to be started. Once that’s done, they simply drive away without you even noticing, until it’s too late of course.
HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF
Keyless entry thefts blur the lines between high-tech and low-tech. The equipment used is advanced, but the method isn’t. Thankfully you can easily protect yourself against it by keeping your car keys away from the front door to stop them from stealing the signal or, better still, keep them in a Faraday box which keeps the signal contained.
Should the worst happen and your car is stolen, whether it’s an all-time classic car or a cutting-edge luxury motor, you’re going to need something to help recover the vehicle quickly and safely. Car trackers are the way to go.
Having a device covertly installed on your car means that there will be no hiding place for them. We have a range of devices to suit every vehicle, from cars, motorbikes, vans and motorhomes and to fit every budget.
Whilst many share the same fantastic features like 24/7 control centre availability and dedicated apps with real-time alerts and notifications, some also come with the latest vehicle protections including Remote Immobilisation, ‘No-Tag-No-Start’ technology and multi-frequency tracking to make sure you always, ALWAYS know where your vehicle is.
With Infiniti Tracking in your corner you will:
⚬ Benefit from UK-wide fitting by our fully trained professional installation engineers.
⚬ A huge range of Thatcham and insurance-approved trackers for all cars, motorbikes, motorhomes and vans.
⚬ Find a tracker that suits your circumstances, vehicle and budget.
Whether you live in Slough, or anywhere else in the UK, we have a car tracker within our range of products for you. Our team are available from 9 am – 6 pm, Monday to Friday on 0330 043 3993 to help you choose and to arrange installation. We look forward to helping you on your journey from Berkshire to car security heaven!
