Is Your Car Your Pride and Joy?
It is a simple question and the answer is relative depending on who is answering. Different people have different opinions about their bond with their cars. However, the fact of the matter is that they help in taking you from one point to another. You spend time looking for a car, shop around then make the deal to own one.
The initial days spark some bonding and getting to know one another. Taking it to the car wash ever so often and probably adding in some upgrades. The fact remains that if you bought a car for your self or it was gifted to you then there is a bond.
Therefore, would you like it if someone stole it from you? I think the right answer is NO.
Car Keyless Theft
Of course, there is insurance and you will get a replacement for your stolen car but isn’t the bond worth something? Because you won’t get the same kind of bond in another car. How do you avoid yours from getting stolen?
Keyless entry and go systems are the new technology for the automotive industry but coupled together with declining numbers of law enforcement, these are the reasons attributed to the rise of vehicle theft allover the world.
The last five years have seen a spike of about 48% in automotive theft and the number seems to be rising. Also, separate research conducted by a German motoring company tested the keyless systems of 237 cars only to conclude that three were able to completely fend off car thieves.
What Exactly is Keyless Theft
Basically, it is the process of stealing cars without using their keys. It is also referred to as relay theft and is quite simple. It all starts with a relay amplifier and a relay transmitter which the thieves acquire through dark channels.
The thieves then identify a house with the kind of vehicle they are in the market for. All they need to do is for one of them to stand with the relay transmitter close to the car. The other goes near your house and begins waving the relay amplifier in the air.
The goal is to capture your key’s relay signal and amplify it to the relay transmitter. The results are that your car will be opened. The same transmitter tricks your car to think that your key is in the car. With that, your car is gone.
These kinds of crime are linked to organized crime and most of the cars are shipped to different continents especially regions that do not have proper legislation in place.
Expert Opinion
Richard Billyeald the chief technical officer at Thatcham Research, a UK research institute dealing in insurances stated that about 1% of cars on their roads use the keyless entry system. Most of the vehicles with such systems used to be high-end ones but slowly trickling down to more affordable models.
Given such optics, it is likely that this form of crime will continue to rise.