As swanky as modern cars and their technology may appear, it does not provide the peace of mind in terms of safety for their owners. There has been a rise in hi-tech car thefts that has led to many drivers mechanical steering lock as organised gangs have found ways to override modern security systems.
A leading supplier of steering wheel locks, Disklok, has seen an increase in the number of orders it has received over the past year due to a rise in car thefts. According to data from the Office for National Statistics, 85,688 car thefts occurred in 2016, almost 30% rise from 2013 when the figures were 65,783. The data were obtained by RAC Insurance.
The director of RAC Insurance, Mark Godfrey said, “Advances in immobilisers, keys and car alarms had caused the number of vehicle thefts to decrease significantly. We fear thieves are now becoming able to defeat manufacturers' anti-theft systems. Steering wheel locks are starting to make a comeback, as they are still an effective visible deterrent.”
According to researchers in Germany, Peugeot and BMW systems in particular are easy to hack.
Graham McNulty, the National Police Chief's Council lead officer for vehicle crime commented, “We are seeing more sophisticated operations by gangs exporting cars for profit, as well as increasing scooter and motorcycle and keyless car theft.”
