Why Investing in the Right Vehicle Security is so Important

Vehicle crime is a worrying issue that continues to rise across the UK, making it vital that you invest in a good system of security for your car, motorbike or bicycle. The National Criminal Intelligence Service says it can take a criminal team as little as 20 seconds to steal a motorbike and millions of £s worth of motorbikes are stolen from UK streets every month – the majority from outside their owners’ homes. And there have been 108,542 motor vehicle thefts in England and Wales so far in 2021/22, which is an increase on last year’s figures. With so many scumbags on the loose it’s clear that it will pay to invest in really decent security to prevent your vehicle becoming one of those statistics.

 

There are a few things you can do to help keep your car or motorbike secure:

 

Lock your vehicle

This might seem obvious – but quite a significant number of stolen vehicles were taken because they were unlocked. Not only is it illegal to leave your vehicle unattended, with the engine running, whether to warm it up or de-ice it, but it won’t be covered by insurance if it gets nicked. Even if you did lock it up, if you leave open windows or the sunroof, or leave the keys on the bike, you shouldn’t be surprised if an opportunistic thief can’t resist.

Several cars have wing mirrors that tuck in when locked and criminals will look to see if the mirrors are still out, indicating it’s unlocked. A clutch or steering wheel lock is a further deterrent to someone snooping around your car and having dash cams installed are another big put-off to a would-be thief.

For your motorbike or bicycle, make sure you’ve locked it to something immovable like a ground anchor or lamppost, ideally with an alarmed lock, and if you can – cover it up! What a thief can’t see will be less attractive – and taking time to look under the cover will draw attention to what they’re doing.

 

Be key safe

Many thieves are just opportunists looking for that split second to grab your vehicle. It only takes a few seconds, so even if you’re close by, dipping into a shop or cashpoint for a few seconds, make sure you lock it and take the keys with you.

If you have keyless entry for your car, you should turn off wireless signals from your fob when it’s not being used and to prevent a thief capturing a signal. Also consider keeping your keys in a Faraday Bag or similar signal-blocking pouch. Always check that your vehicle is locked before you walk away. Check car doors or steering lock of your motorbike in case a thief is lurking with an electronic signal-jamming device.

 

Security at home

Given that nearly half of the vehicle thefts reported take place when parked at home, you need to think carefully about how you keep your car, motorbike, or bicycle safe while you’re watching Netflix or even away on holiday.

1. Make sure you leave your vehicle in a well-lit place – park near a lamp post where you can. Thieves love the dark to hide what they’re doing, and in the winter it’s darker for longer, so a motion sensor light outside your house or drive will be a good deterrent. If you can leave it in a car park with security, that’s a solid solution.
2. Make sure no possessions or anything of value is visible inside the car, as these will be an added attraction to an opportunistic thief with sticky fingers who might be walking by. Have a car smart alarm fitted – something that will scream out if anyone is trying to break in. The best systems have a GPS or tracker, so if a thief is successful you can still monitor the car and notify the police.
3. Make sure your bike is locked securely to something immovable, like a piece of street furniture or install a ground anchor. Ideally, it’s better by far to keep your car, motorbike or expensive road racing bike totally out of view in a shed or garage. These can have additional locks such as a garage defender to secure the door and ensure that thieves are thoroughly put off even attempting to break in, but if they do try – giving plenty of time for someone to hear the grinder attack and call the cops.

If they get past the garage defender (highly unlikely) but you’ve installed a guardsman barrier they’ll definitely want to give up. An extendible, locking and alarmed barrier which prevents the average vehicle being lifted over, or fitting under, provides ultimate assurance that your vehicle is safe and sound when you return. Some insurers will also offer discounted insurance policies if you have decent security installed – saving you some money monthly. Our friends BeMoto are the best option for discounted insurance.

 

Reasons to invest in security

So, the reason that investing in the right security for your vehicle is important is because, as the expression goes, prevention is better than cure! If you invest in decent security, then you have a much better chance of not becoming one of those stolen vehicle statistics in 2023. The pay-out is much higher if you end up having your vehicle nicked – often the police aren’t even able to trace it or catch the scumbags, so you end up having to claim on insurance.

For a comprehensive range of security fixes, check out our product range, or get in touch to chat about which items would be best for keeping your vehicle safe from thieves this winter.