Do you need to fit a vehicle tracker?

Vehicle theft is at the highest level for a decade. Modern car security can be quickly neutralised by readily available digital tools. Currently legal, such handheld devices are designed with one thing in mind: stealing vehicles with ruthless efficiency. 

Professional car theft technology is widely available, requiring no checks when purchasing them. There is no legislation to prevent sale or ownership, even though many of these devices serve no purpose other than to defeat a vehicle’s integrated security protocols, many in under 30 seconds.

A recent statement from the Association of British Insurers confirmed that in 2018, insurers paid out a record £376m for car theft, up 27% on previous year. 

Home Office stats reveal more than 110,000 vehicle thefts in 2017/18 – up 10% on the year before and the highest level since 2009.   

The most common methods the modern-day thief uses to steal vehicles include;

Cloned Keys -  A cloned key is an unauthorised exact duplicate key which can be produced in a few seconds.

Relay Attack - a simple method of theft, where a transmitter is used to relay a vehicle key's signal. The data is sent to a second device which, when close to the vehicle, can instantly unlock and start the engine. 

Electronic Compromise - Electronic and OBD port compromise is when thieves plug-in or connect an intelligent device, usually through the vehicles diagnostic socket (whereby the Dealer would connect their own machines during service). This tricks the vehicle into believing the correct key is present, can even program a completely new key.

Fight back with a tracker

The chances of successfully recovering a stolen vehicle increase dramatically when you can track the real-time location of your vehicle. 

Thatcham Research, the motor insurers automotive research centre, has established two classifications of tracker systems.

Thatchem Category S7 (until Jan 2019, known as Cat 6 and 7) vehicle trackers offer a range of features from a simple track and locate using Very High Frequency Radio (VHF) to more advanced systems that also incorporate Global Positioning System (GPS) and Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM). 

Trackers that use a VHF signal can locate your vehicle even when attempts have been made to conceal it, such as in a location like an underground car park. 

GPS technology allows the vehicle to be located anywhere across the world, but used a standalone technology, the signals for these can be too weak to locate the car, where a professional thief has made a concerted attempt to conceal it.

The most peace of mind comes in the form of Thatcham Category S5 trackers (formerly Cat 5). Tracking systems under this category offer the most security features, ensuring the security of your vehicle by giving you all of the above, plus Automatic Driver Recognition (ADR) technology.  

ADR is a feature that identifies approved drivers, usually by means of small electronic tags that  driver keeps on their person.  If the vehicle moves without the driver identification tag present, an alarm is raised with the tracker monitoring company. It also alerts the owner, querying if the movement of the vehicle is legitimate and if not, liaising with the police.  

The most sophisticated  S5 tracking systems also enable the owner to remotely disable the car when stationary to prevent it from starting, which is as close to ensuring the safety of your vehicle as you can get. 

Depending on the make or value of your vehicle, having a tracker fitted may be a requirement made by an insurer in order to cover the vehicle for loss or damage caused by theft or attempted theft.

Beyond theft: other advantages of a tracker

Some trackers now provide a mobile app that can include a combination of the following features:

• Real-time vehicle location and status updates, which can prove very useful in the event of an accident or breakdown.
• Find-My-Vehicle mode, giving directions to the car's location (can be used to great effect in enormous car parks, e.g. shopping centre or theme park).  
• Location GeoFencing sets specific times and areas where your vehicle should be. If these rules are breached, you will be automatically alerted. 

Trackers and your insurance premiums 

For vehicles where a tracker fitment is made a requirement, the increased likelihood of recovering the stolen car presents a lesser risk of a sizable insurance pay-out, which in turn, can help negate large increases in premium.  

If your insurers require a tracker to be fitted,  R K Harrison have negotiated a discount with Stop Track who offer one of the most advanced S5 tracking systems available. 

Please contact your Account Executive for more details and to obtain your discount code.