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!
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!
Of all the iconic names associated with the motor vehicle industry, there are few that symbolise what the car’s impact on the world has been as much as Volkswagen, or VW as they’re often referred to. This German manufacturer has been making vehicles since its conception in 1937. In the years since, Volkswagen, meaning ‘People’s Car’, has grown from its roots in Nazi Germany, to become one of the most popular and most well-regarded manufacturers in the world.
Over the last 80 years or so, VW has created a stream of iconic vehicles from the original Beetle, their legendary Camper Van, known officially as the VW Transporter, right through to the modern age with the Golf GTi, Scirocco and the relaunched, reimagined Beetle, but that popularity comes at a price though.
The VW Golf alone is the 4th most stolen car in the UK, not surprising since it’s also one of the 10 best-selling cars in the UK in 2022.
PROTECT YOUR VW WITH A CAR TRACKER
Whether you’ve bought a brand new VW or a preloved one, you’re going to want to protect it and the best way to do that is with a car tracker. It can be daunting sifting through all the terminology and myriad of feature-sets, trying to work out which one suits you and your vehicle the best, especially with so many to choose from. Thankfully, that’s where Infiniti Tracking excels!
We’ve put together two of the best VW car trackers available to help you out, all of which are approved by Volkswagen themselves. Starting with…
META TRAK S7-ATS
Whilst the impact of not protecting your car is large, this tracker is one of the smallest out there but still packs some real power. The S7-ATS from Meta Trak isn’t just an incredible tracker from a highly-regarded company, it’s also approved by Volkswagen themselves. If you’re looking for a Thatcham and insurance-approved tracker, then this should definitely be on your radar.
Rated as S7 by security researchers Thatcham, the S7-ATS comes with all the features you would expect including a 24-hour control centre that helps monitor the location of your car at all times. The trackers also come with its own smartphone app that gives you access to real-time, real-world data and alerts including journey history, low battery, tamper and motion alerts. All designed to give you peace of mind that your car is where you left it and if not, exactly where it is so it can be recovered quickly and easily.
VODAFONE PROTECT AND CONNECT S5 VTS
Vodafone might not be a name you immediately associate with car trackers, but their Automotive decision makes some amazing systems, including this Protect and Connect device. It meets Thatcham’s highest S5 criteria for car security so you know you’re getting something special. It’s also another system approved by the good people at VW.
Being a S5-rated system means that it comes with some features you won’t find on S7 trackers including Automatic Driver Recognition (ADR) tags. These fantastic pieces of technology give you even more control. Designed to be kept on your person, they transmit an encrypted wireless signal unique to your vehicle. Essentially, this means that your car will only start when these tags are within range of the vehicle, if not, the car remains immobilised. If an attempt to start the car without a tag being present occurs, the alarm will be triggered.
In addition to ADR, you get all the alerts and notifications you would expect including low battery and disconnection alerts and even blocking alerts. All these features and more are easily managed with its dedicated app and backed up by their 24-hour control centre.
GO THE EXTRA MILE
It’s worth pointing out that if you’ve bought a new VW, then you’ll already know it comes with Volkswagen’s own We-Connect app. You might think that this negates the need for a car tracker, but that’s not the case. It’s true that the We-Connect app can help you find your car, but it’s really more aimed at locating it in a huge car park; it’s called ‘Parking Position’ after all. Yes, it can find its location, but it relies on you actively checking the app. This won’t be much use if you’re away, or asleep, and the first time you realise your car’s been stolen is 8 hours after the fact.
⚬ Benefit from UK-wide fitting by our fully trained professional installation engineers.
⚬ Choose from a full range of Thatcham and insurance-approved trackers for all cars, motorbikes, motorhomes and vans.
⚬ If you change your vehicle,easily transfer your tracker from your old car to the new one.
Whether you have a Volkswagen or any other type of car for that matter, we are sure to have a car tracker that meets your needs. Take a look at the fantastic range of products we have in our online store and, when you’re ready to take the next step, or just need a friendly, knowledgeable voice to talk to help you choose, give our team a call on 0330 043 3993. We’re open 9 am – 6 pm, Monday to Friday, and we’d be delighted to help you. We also offer nationwide installation delivered at a time and place to suit you whether you drive a VW or not!
Car theft has been a blight on the UK for decades, but according to a Freedom of Information request to the DVLA in Swansea, the LE2 postcode in Leicester had the highest number of car thefts in the UK in 2021. In that one postcode alone, the Police recording 342 thefts of vehicles, almost one per day over the course of a year.
If you live in or around Leicester, or elsewhere in the UK, then there’s never been a better time to protect your vehicle with a car tracker from the team here at Infiniti. Whether you’ve got a top-of-range luxury car or a family car you all rely on, car security has become not only a necessity but something you can get regardless of your budget.
HOW ARE VEHICLES TARGETED?
The type of cars stolen aren’t just the higher-end models you would normally associate with car theft. The models taken by thieves are spread throughout the vehicular spectrum, but it’s interesting to note that the vehicles in the target differ.
Luxury cars like BMW, Range Rover, Jaguar and Porsche attract thieves who steal to order. This means that gangs specifically target certain types of cars that have been ordered by their customers, often with the car thieves travelling from one area to the next to accomplish their shopping list. Sometimes these lists can get very specific, often looking at limited edition models, design, colour or even specifications. Luxury cars aren’t the only temptations.
Many of the cars stolen come from some of the most popular manufacturers like Ford, VW and Vauxhall. These warriors of the road cars are often at the heart of family life and play a key part in getting the kids to school, the work commute and general day-to-day activities. These make up the majority of the vehicles stolen, with the Ford Fiesta, VW Golf and the Corsa from Vauxhall taking up the top three slots on Leicester’s most-stolen cars, so how do you protect yourself?
HOW TO PREVENT YOUR CAR FROM BEING STOLEN
One of the most effective and increasingly-common ways to avoid your car being stolen is with a vehicle tracking system. These amazing systems not only act as a deterrent to thieves, but they also massively increase the chance of recovering your vehicle quickly and safely should the worst happen.
We have a fantastic range of both S5 and S7 trackers to suit any car and any budget, no matter where you live. All of them offer a wealth of features and most come with a free smartphone app that puts the power of the system right in the palm of your hand. These systems are also backed up by a 24/7 control centre offering you complete peace of mind to know your vehicle is secured at home, at the office or even in LE2!
THE BIGGEST NAMES IN CAR SECURITY
Here at Infiniti, we pride ourselves on providing the highest level of customer service and can come to you anywhere in the UK at a time that’s convenient to you. We sell trackers from all the best car security manufacturers including Tracker, TrackStar, MetaTrak and Vodafone Automotive. Whether you want an S7 or the higher specification of the S5, you’re sure to find one that suits you and your circumstance.
⚬ UK-wide fitting by qualified, professional installers.
⚬ A range of trackers to suit any car, budget or location.
⚬ Easily transfer your tracker from one car to another.
To find out more about any of the products in our range, please give our team a call on 0330 043 3993 any time between 9 am and 6 pm, Monday to Friday, and we’ll help you find the best tracker for you and arrange the best time to come and install your new tracking, whether at home or work; whatever’s the most convenient to you. You don’t have to live in Leicester to be a victim of car crime!
One thing that BMW drivers understand is that it makes sense to look after their vehicles. Running a car can be an expensive business these days but there are some expenditure items that pay off in the long term. One of the best ways to look after your vehicle is to have a tracking device installed and if you are looking to find the most effective BMW tracker, come along and see what Infiniti In-Car Solutions has to offer.
We offer the best brands, makes and models
We are delighted to say that we provide a range of tracking systems and devices for BMW drivers, including some of the best names in the industry. We offer Smartrack tracking devices, Cobra tracking systems, Cobratrak devices, Vodafone Automotive tracking devices, Trafficmaster Trackstar devices, Tracker Retrieve devices, and Tracker Monitor and Tracker Locate devices. These are all highly regarded tracking devices, all of which offer their own unique benefits and features.
If you want to know which option is best for your BMW and your budget, get in touch and we will be more than happy to help you find the ideal solution for your needs.
We offer insurance approved tracking devices
When it comes to justifying your expenditure on tracking devices, we believe that opting for an insurance approved device makes sense. Not only will a tracking device assist the police in recovering your vehicle after a theft, but they can also lower the cost of your insurance premiums.
Most motorists will agree that the cost of running a car is extremely high, so being able to make savings and reduce the amount of money that you outlay has to be of benefit. We offer a wide selection of insurance approved CAT-5 trackers and CAT-6 trackers, so if you are looking for peace of mind while saving money, we have the tracking devices for your needs.
We will ensure your tracking device is properly installed
To make sure that you get the most from your BMW tracker, we will install it for you. We offer an extensive range of installation and fitting services, so no matter what sort of tracking device you buy or what type of BMW you have, you’ll find that our experienced team will ensure that it is properly installed.
Knowing that your tracking device is properly installed will offer you considerable confidence, so come and see how Infiniti In-Car Solutions can help you care for your vehicle in the most effective manner.
Our devices are police approved and will help to recover your car
The stress and inconvenience of having your car stolen would cause any motorist to feel stressed and under pressure. Given that many of us are fully reliant on our car these days, the thought of losing our vehicle is a difficult one to bear. If you are looking for the best standard of support in recovering your car after it has been stolen, be sure to choose the most appropriate BMW tracker from the range provided by Infiniti In-Car Solutions.
