Return of the steering lock: More drivers resort to ‘old skool’ safety merchandise to guard their automobiles
- 2/5 of owners are using additional security measures to keep luxury cars safe
Car owners are relying on ‘old school’ security measures to safeguard their luxury vehicles from organised criminal gangs stealing motors using the latest tactics.
New research has found that car crime worry is so great that two fifths of owners are using additional security measures that were popular in the eighties and nineties, including steering locks and bollards.
The return of these ‘old had’ security products has been driven by increased concerns regarding keyless vehicle thefts, with over three quarters of luxury cars featuring keyless entry and start systems.
1.2 million (36 per cent) luxury car owners are using these ‘old school’ physical devices to keep their expensive cars secure
Despite the rise of advanced security technologies, 1.2 million (36 per cent) luxury car owners are using these ‘old school’ physical devices to keep their expensive cars secure.
One in ten of the 2,000 people surveyed by Direct Line Motor Insurance said they use steering wheel locks, which goes up to 26 per cent when parking away from home.
Some 13 per cent have installed bollards, 10 per cent have installed lockable gates and 3 per cent use a lockable chain to secure the drive.
While many of these luxury cars can cost in excess of six-figure and are packed with the latest digital security systems, old school theft deterrents are increasingly seen as a better deterrent and are available for as little as £17.
A quarter (23 per cent) of luxury car owners worry multiple times a week about their car being stolen, while two fifths (39 per cent) of owners that park their luxury cars on their drive at home feel they need additional security measures to further protect their car from being stolen.
Concerns about the vulnerability of modern car tech is on the rise, with keyless entry and ignition the most worried about area.
Over three quarters (77 per cent) of cars worth £40,000 or more have keyless entry and ignition, and the recent spate of relay theft – when criminals use a car’s technology against itself by tricking the keyless entry system into thinking the key fob is within range – is causing people to turn to old hat ways to beat the crooks.
Sensibly a quarter (24 per cent) of owners with cars with keyless entry and ignition use a Faraday device when parked at home, and a further 21 per cent keep their keys stored a long way from their car when it’s parked on the drive.
Even if vehicles are kept in a garage, people worry that won’t be enough against keyless theft; 49 per cent of owners who park in garages taking the additional precaution of keeping their keys in a Faraday storage device.
For overall security, installing CCTV is the most common choice with two thirds (66 per cent) of those with luxury cars have installed cameras to cover their car when it is parked at their home.