With the cold weather looming, Christmas on its way (we know!) and the cost of heating going through the sunroof, it’s time to turn your attention to securing your vehicle over the winter.
With the new year approaching, the peak months for many car thefts, making sure your car, motorhome, motorbike or sleigh is secure is going to be vital in having a peaceful, stress-free festive period.
With that in mind, we thought it would be useful to give you some fantastic tips to help you secure your vehicle this winter.
WINTER IS COMING
One of the most common ways thieves can steal your car isn’t through a technically advanced technique involving gadgets or trickery, it’s by getting in and driving away with your own key!
Frost-jacking, as it’s known, occurs when you leave your car unattended to warm up.
As you try to get yourself and the family ready for school or work, many people will go out and start their car, then leave it alone.
They will allow it to idle, either to warm up the interior or defrost the windscreens after a snow shower or frosty morning (often both). This obviously involves leaving your key in the ignition and vehicle unattended, but that’s the problem.
Thieves, often opportunists, will walk around neighbourhoods looking for this exact pattern. When they see an unattended vehicle ticking over, they simply get in and drive away.
The easiest way to stop yourself becoming a victim to frost-jacking is obviously not to do it. Do not leave your car unattended with the engine running!
Most modern cars warm up very quickly and many come with heated windscreens, so there’s often no real need to anyway. If you can cover it overnight to protect it from snow and frost, then there will be even less reason to, and less opportunity for thieves to steal your vehicle.
A KEY DOESN’T HAVE TO BE KEY TO CAR THEFT
Just a couple of years ago, 92% of the cars that were stolen from homes were done so without the use of a key. Whilst that figures sounds staggering, and it is, remember many modern cars don’t come with a traditional key anyway, but that hasn’t stopped thieves from exploiting the technology to their own gains.
To steal your keyless entry car, many car thieves use a technique called a Relay Attack.
This involves a team of thieves, one of which stands near your door (they’ll rely on the fact you’ll store your car keys near your front door) and by using a device to scan for the signal omitted by your key fob, transmit the signal to their accomplice who’s next to you car with a receiver.
Once the signal is received, your car will open and off they’ll drive. To combat this, there are trackers that can help.
SCORPION HAS A WINTER STING
The ScorpionTrack S5 VTS and its big brother the S5+ with immobilisation are both designed and manufactured to the Police’s preferred specification.
Not only that, they both will help protect your vehicle from Relay Attack in addition to key cloning and On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) hacking.
⚬ Stay warm with a collection of incredible trackers to keep you moving this winter.
⚬ Benefit from UK-wide installation from our team of accredited engineers.
⚬ Don’t fall victim to winter car crime.
20 winters have come and gone since we started Infiniti Tracking. so we can be confident that you will get the best products at the best prices, with installation available throughout the UK. Don’t be left out in the cold, our team is available from 9 am – 6 pm, Monday to Friday on 0330 043 3993 to help you get a warm fuzzy feeling knowing your car is secured this winter, and for years to come.
