Car Crime

Below are some facts about car crime and dont we all just love it! What is interesting is the number of cars being stolen has dramatically dropped but the crooks(what lovley guys) have found new ways to make money from your car!
 
• Car crime costs 2 billion pounds each year
• Vehicle crime has dropped by more than 66% since it peaked in 1995. Rates dropped by 11% in 2007-08 over the previous year
• Nearly 1.5 million vehicle-related thefts were recorded in 2007-08
• Car-related crimes accounted for 13% of all recorded crime in England and Wales
• Having security equipment on your car - especially an immobiliser - makes your vehicle more than ten times safer than a car with no security equipment


Yes very boring but as car crime has fallen it is things like number plate theft, catalytic converter and personal possessions left inside your car that is on the up!
So here's some tips for stopping the new car criminals!!


Personal Possession's

Right listen guys lets not be silly and leave your possessions out for all to see! If you do then don't complain when they are nicked.
Some points are if you have a tom tom or similar don't leave the bracket out as everyone will know the rest is in the glove box, be wise take the bracket off the windscreen and remove the mark the suction pad leaves! Come on 3 minutes work to save it getting nicked cant be bad! Dont leave money out, or your handbag on the passenger seat as it has been know that people will wait till you have stopped at some lights run over and try the door, if its open your bag will be gone!

Now, if you have some spare cash you can now get your glass covered in a film which will prevent a thief from just smashing the glass and nicking your stuff! The cost may vary but for £300 you should be able to get it done!

Number Plate Theft

Well this is now a big thing! Think about it if someone is driving around with your reg plate on their car you could receive fines for speeding, parking, congestion, and any other offence going! Quite a worry wouldn't you agree!!! If you think how long does it take to undo 2 screws and that's it you are knackered.
There is a way to stop this there is a product called Secureplate, as tests have proven do actually stop your plates from being stolen!

Catalytic convertor theft

As I have never stolen one, I have heard they are quite hard to pinch, as contained within the unit are various precious metals such as platinum, at a scrap metal merchant they can be valued at around £200 pounds.
All we can suggest is park your car in a secure or public place as it is not a 2 minute job to steal a catalytic convertor.

As new cars are getting harder and harder to steal it seems to be older models that are predominantly taken!

If you do have a new car the crooks are now more interested in getting your keys to pinch your car then actually breaking into and hotwiring the vehicle!

The most common way of getting your keys is fishing for them!

Car thieves have become very observant and have realised that many people tend to leave their car keys on a table/stairs in the hallway, hanging up on a wall or placed on a shelf near the front door as it's easier to remember where they are and more convenient to locate them there when we're in a rush to, perhaps, get out to work of a morning.
Then, having spotted where the keys are kept, the car thief returns in the dead of night and fishes them out silently through the letterbox using a device similar to a fishing rod with a hook on the end simple and very effective!
The benefits to the crooks of using this method is that there is no need to have to break into the vehicle, no noise or damage is caused and, in having the keys, there is less risk of alarms going off and they can make their getaway quicker.
In fact, the first time you might notice something is amiss is probably going to be when you wake up in the morning when the thief and your car have both long departed. There is no damage to the vehicle which means that the police will be less suspicious, as there's no damage!
The thief is more likely to move the car on and be able to sell it if they're quick enough.

Make it harder for a criminal!

Other than your car alarm/ remote entry system here are a few other ways to stop the car thiefs.

Get VIN Etched

VIN is the vehicle identification number and is unique to each vehicle. If it is etched onto the windows and other major parts of the car it is unlikely that thieves would be able to sell on the parts to a chop shop - which would otherwise buy them and sell the parts individually. For this reason a professional thief is likely to bypass a car that has visible VIN etching in place.

Steering Wheel Locks

Steering wheel locks (bin lids) are great anti-theft devices for deterring joy riders and amateur thieves. They fit snugly across your steering wheel and will usually deter the car thief along to the next vehicle, which hopefully doesn't belong to you. This is an inexspensive hassle free way to protect your car from being stolen.

Immobilisers

An immobiliser (sometimes also known as a kill-switch) is always a good idea. By cutting the fuel or the ignition, it stops the car from being started, but it needs to be hidden, or else a thief can spot it straight away and render it useless.
An immobiliser won't stop a car from being broken into, but it may well stop it from being stolen.

Trackers

If your car is stolen, it has a better chance of being recovered if you have fitted a tracker device. Trackers are also a great way to get a good deal on cheap car insurance. If your car is in the UK, the police can recover it by following the tracker signal back to its source. These system can be expensive which is the only downside to this system but are very very effective.