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26 Summer 2022 INSURANCE INSIGHTS P icture this: You get home after a long journey, and your wheelie bin is at the end of your drive. Your natural reactionmight be to get out of your car to move the bin out of the way, so you can pull into your driveway. Believe it or not, thieves are using this as a tactic to steal cars. When drivers jump out of their car to move the bin, leaving the engine running, criminals are then driving o with the vehicle. As the keys have been left in the car, many insurance policies may not cover motorists for this type of theft. If your wheelie bin seems strangely out of place, think about parking around the corner, ensuring you lock your car. If you notice anyone suspicious, stay safe – get back in your vehicle and call the police. Almost 75k cars were stolen last year – a 33% increase from 2019, according to the DVLA. Whether you have a personal vehicle or a motor eet, we’ve put together our top tips, so you don’t become a victim of vehicle theft. KEYLESS CAR THEFT Provisional gures from the National Police Chiefs’ Council show a 3.1% increase between May and June 2021 in vehicle crime. e bulk of this increase is from keyless theft. Most modern vehicles now open with keyless technology, and thieves have found a way to exploit this. Police intelligence shows organised crime gangs are using technology to get signals from keyfobs inside residential and commercial properties. ey then transfer this to a portable, relay device which allows them to unlock the vehicle(s) and drive away. is is known as keyless or relay theft, and criminals can get the signal and steal a car or van in less than two minutes. On average, keyfobs have an unlocking range of ve to 20 metres, so make sure they’re kept as far away as possible from any entry points in your home or business. Some keyfobs have the option to turn o the keyless entry feature – it’s always worth checking with your vehicle manufacturer if it can be disabled. Another way to prevent access to your keyfob is by keeping it in a blocking pouch, which does what it says on the tin and prevents the signal from being used on a relay device. With car theft figures reaching 75k, we offer advice to keep you one step ahead of the latest tactics being used. STAY SAVVY AGAINST VEHICLE THIEVES Distraction techniques are commonly used inehicle thefts – such as leaving your engine running while you move a wheelie bin they’ve placed across your driveway/entrance.