Jaguar Land Rover puts up £1m to help police catch car thieves as they battle to restore reputation of the Range Rover – dubbed Britain’s ‘most stolen car’

1. Keep your key fob away from your car – and keep it in a Faraday wallet

To provide optimal protection against keyless car theft, always place the key fob as far away from the vehicle as possible and store it in a place that is not close to doors or windows in your home.

Even if you keep them upstairs or in a room farthest from your driveway, you can’t guarantee that a criminal using relay tactics won’t be able to infiltrate the signal.

For the best level of protection, owners of cars with keyless technology should purchase a Faraday pouch or wallet.

You can buy these online for just €5. They isolate the signal from the key fob so thieves can’t copy it.

Metal tins and boxes also provide similar levels of protection, as does keeping your key fob in a fridge freezer, microwave or oven – remember to put them in there before switching on the latter two.

Don’t forget your spare keys and handle your master keys or remote control with the same care.

2. Invest in extra theft protection

A simple steering lock or wheel clamp may look ugly, but it is a great tool to deter even the most hardened, tech-savvy criminals.

They act as a visual deterrent to thieves, who are likely to avoid them.

For a criminal to remove a steering lock, noisy drills or saws are typically required to cut through, making them the ideal first line of defense for owners of models with keyless car technology.

Drivers should also consider wheel clamps and have alarm systems and trackers (read more about this below) installed.

Owners of vans with keyless technology should also consider installing deadbolts for extra protection, especially if they store expensive tools and items in their commercial vehicles at night.

3. Be careful when locking the doors

It may sound simple, but always make sure your car is locked whenever you leave it, especially in busy parking lots where thieves often use signal blockers.

Many drivers also don’t realize that on some vehicle models, pressing the key fob just once will only lock your car once.

This means that if you break the window, you can open the car manually by reaching in and pulling the handle from the inside.

Double locking may require key fobs to press the lock button a second time to enable full security features. It’s important to read your car’s manual when you first get it and become familiar with how to safely lock your car when you’re not in it.

4. Think carefully about where you park at night

Most often, keyless car thefts occur in the owner’s driveway. While drivers may think that having their vehicle so close to their home ensures safety, this is certainly not the case when it comes to reporting thefts. On the contrary, because it means that the car is closer to where the keys are. in your house.

Therefore, owners with on-site parking should consider additional measures.

Driveway parking bollards are a cheap but efficient way to deter would-be thieves.

Drivers can go one step further and install lockable gates on their driveways, while simple CCTV systems can provide even more peace of mind.

Luxury cars, which are at greater risk of theft, should be parked in a locked garage whenever possible.

For those without parking who leave their cars on the road outside their homes, you are not safe from these criminals either.

Consider parking further away from your property than normal – and try to find a spot under a street lamp to unmask thieves if they try to steal your car at night.

If you live on a residential street where there are businesses, park outside a street where a CCTV camera is installed.

5. Install a tracking device in your car

Installing a tracker system in your vehicle, such as a Thatcham approved device, provides an extra layer of security.

A tracking device will not prevent your vehicle from being stolen, but it will significantly increase the chance that the police will find the vehicle and return it to you.

They cost between £250 and £800 and the safest ones use military technology to pinpoint the whereabouts of cars.